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Darasuram - Tamil Nadu - India
UNESCO Heritage site.
Airavatesvara temple at Darasuram stands out for its intricate, beautiful sculptures. The temple in the form of a chariot being pulled by an elephant and horse with a fleet of steps is no doubt a repository of our art and culture.
According to Kudavayila Balasubramanian, an epigraphist and temple expert, there are many unique sculptures in the temple. They include a 73 panel of sculptures depicting the life history of 63 Nayanmars. "Nowhere one can see in such details the life history of Nayanmars.
There are sculptures depicting the life history of Nayanmars at Melakadambur and Thirupanandal. But not in such detail," Mr.Balasubramanian said. The temple starts with a mahadwara, main entrance on the eastern side.
The Mahadwara, which was in ruins, was reassembled by Archaeological Survey of India. The Palipeeda and Nandhi come next. Fleet of steps made of stone in the palipeeda are said to produce musical notes.
It is followed by the second Rajagopuram. This is followed by the Rajagambirqan Thirumandapam. Then comes the Mukha madapa which is like a chariot pulled by horses and elephants. Mahamandapa and Artha mandapa follows this and finally ends with the sanctum sanctorum. Upon the sanctum sanctorum is the 47 feet vimana.
Other important sculptures of the temple are the 108 Devara Othuvars who sung in the temple during the time of Raja Raja II. There are sculptures for river goddesses like Cauvery, Ganges, Yamuna, Godavari and Narmada. "While the sculptures of rivers like Cauvery, Yamuna, Godavari are with human form till hip level and depicted in the form of water circles below, sculpture of Ganges is in full human form with a vessel of water in one hand and lotus flower in the other hand," Mr.Balasubramanian said.
Two sculptures found in Darasuram have been brought to the Art gallery at Thanjavur . One is Gajamharamurthy in which Lord Siva slains the elephant demon and another is Dwarabalaga brought by Raja Raja I from Kalyan in Maharashtra as a war trophy.
The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has declared the temple as a world heritage monument.
The Archaeological Survey of India is maintaining the temple well. With lush green lawns in front and illumination, the temple has become a tourist spot.
History of Airavatesvara temple
Palaiyarai is ancient temple city and the Capital of the Cholas. King Raja Kambeera Mamannan, Raja Raja Chola II (1146 A.D. to 1172 A.D) changed his capital from Gangaikonda Cholapuram to Palaiyarai and renamed it as Raja Raja Puram (at present it is Darasuram). There were 1000 Thaligal (temples) in palaiyarai .There were 4 padai veedus (Military Camps) on al the four directions of the Capital. Thalicherippendirgal were appointed by the king to develop fine arts especially music and dance in the temple during festival occasions. King Raja Raja II constructed in his name a beautiful temple called Raja Rajechuram (at present Airavatheeswara) in1160 A.D. to 1162 A.D. This Raja Rajechuram (Raja Rajeschuram – Tharechuram – Darachuram -Darasurm) became Darasuram at present. It is a world heritage monument protected by UNESCO.
Mythology :
Airavatham is an elephant (white in colour) and is a vehicle of Indra. It was cursed by sage Durvasa to lose its shining white. Airavatha came to his temple and got its original colour after worshipping the Lord. Hence the deity came to known as Airavatheeswara (the protector or the elephant).
D300 + 24-70
Was fortunate to capture the moon rise over the gopuram of the Big (Bragadeeshwara Temple) in Tanjore
This was the toughest days walking I have ever done but the views were worth it. I was heading from Everest Base Camp to Gokyo.The British registered charity at www.aidfornepalichildren.org.uk
support Nepali children
Airavateswarar temple was constructed by the Rajaraja Chola II in the 12th century AD.
This temple is a storehouse of art and architecture. The vimana is 85 feet high. The front mandapam itself is in the form of a huge chariot drawn by horses. The temple has some exquisite stone carvings.
The Great Living Chola Temples. (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) at Thanjavur, Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Darasuram were built by the Cholas between the 10th and 12th centuries CE and have a lot of similarities.
The main deity's consort Periya Nayaki Amman temple is a detached temple situated to the north of the Airavateshvarar temple. This might have been a part of the main temple when the outer courts were complete. At present, it stands alone as a detached temple with the shrine of the Goddess standing in a single large court.
This temple was added to the list of Great Living Chola Temples in the year 2004. The Great Living Chola Temples includes the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur, the Temple of Gangaikondacholisvaram at Gangaikonda Cholapuram and the Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram. All of these temples were built by the Cholas between the 10th and 12th centuries CE and have a lot of similarities.
Like to see the pictures as LARGE as your screen? Just click on this Slideshow : www.flickr.com/photos/reurinkjan/sets/72157624932250006/s...
This is the Mountain called in Tibetan: Dophu Ngatra དོ་ ཕུ་ ང་ ཏྲ་ རི་ in the Trola Ri Range (Chola Ri Range) in Dege (or Derge county), Kham.
These Abies squamata forests reach up above 4600m here. Spruce-fir forest tree line reaches this height from Derge to Chamdo, the highest spruce-fir forest tree line in the world. Only junipers (Juniperus thibetica) will climb higher in central Tibet. East of Derge about 100kms is the small town of Manigango which is another stunning area with the mountain range of the Trola and Yilhun Lha Lake to explore.
www.danielwinkler.com/mountain_forests.htm
The ascent to the watershed Tro La pass(Cho La) , with an altitude of 4864 m, northeast of Derge (the Derge county capital), is precipitous and switchback, gradually rising above the tree line into a world of jagged snow mountains. There are magnificent views of the Dri chu འབྲི་ཆུ་ (Yangtze) gorge to the southwest. On the far side of Tro La(Cho La), the landscape is totally different, the enclosed forested valleys giving way to rugged open grassland. The crossroads town of Manigango is located in the grassland, 110 km from Derge, and 41 km from Tro La pass(Cho La).
Heather made a surprise appearance at one of our group shoots. She hadn't shot for a bit and was in the mood to try out a Chola shoot. We are always glad to help her. Fun shoot and she is still as gorgeous as ever. I would shoot with her anytime. I took this photo in early August 2022 in Meridian, Idaho.
Darasuram - UNESCO Heritage Monument - India
Airavatesvara temple at Darasuram stands out for its intricate, beautiful sculptures. The temple in the form of a chariot being pulled by an elephant and horse with a fleet of steps is no doubt a repository of our art and culture.
According to Kudavayila Balasubramanian, an epigraphist and temple expert, there are many unique sculptures in the temple. They include a 73 panel of sculptures depicting the life history of 63 Nayanmars. "Nowhere one can see in such details the life history of Nayanmars.
There are sculptures depicting the life history of Nayanmars at Melakadambur and Thirupanandal. But not in such detail," Mr.Balasubramanian said. The temple starts with a mahadwara, main entrance on the eastern side.
The Mahadwara, which was in ruins, was reassembled by Archaeological Survey of India. The Palipeeda and Nandhi come next. Fleet of steps made of stone in the palipeeda are said to produce musical notes.
It is followed by the second Rajagopuram. This is followed by the Rajagambirqan Thirumandapam. Then comes the Mukha madapa which is like a chariot pulled by horses and elephants. Mahamandapa and Artha mandapa follows this and finally ends with the sanctum sanctorum. Upon the sanctum sanctorum is the 47 feet vimana.
Other important sculptures of the temple are the 108 Devara Othuvars who sung in the temple during the time of Raja Raja II. There are sculptures for river goddesses like Cauvery, Ganges, Yamuna, Godavari and Narmada. "While the sculptures of rivers like Cauvery, Yamuna, Godavari are with human form till hip level and depicted in the form of water circles below, sculpture of Ganges is in full human form with a vessel of water in one hand and lotus flower in the other hand," Mr.Balasubramanian said.
Two sculptures found in Darasuram have been brought to the Art gallery at Thanjavur . One is Gajamharamurthy in which Lord Siva slains the elephant demon and another is Dwarabalaga brought by Raja Raja I from Kalyan in Maharashtra as a war trophy.
The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has declared the temple as a world heritage monument.
The Archaeological Survey of India is maintaining the temple well. With lush green lawns in front and illumination, the temple has become a tourist spot.
Ponnamaravati is said to be located in Puramalai nadu, in Rajendrasola valanadu, a district Of Rajaraja Pandi nadu, by which name the entire Pandi mandalam was known after Rajaraja I's reconquest of that kingdom.
Four chola records and inscriptions in this temple are Pandyan (A.D. 1190-1217).The Chola records refer to the building of the srivimana and the consecration of a Siva-linga named Rajendra Solisvaram Udaiya Mahadevar by the local chief.
The temple of Cholisvaram (its modern name ) now as sundaracholisvarar, sundareswar would appear have been built by Rajaraja II in memory of his great-grand father Kulottunga I.
Architectural Features:
The garbhagriha, the ardhamandapa and the mahamandapa form a single architectural unit.The sanctum rises over a moulded adhishthanam, having an octogonal kumudam.The pilasters are square with thick palagais and the beveled corbels.The cornice is thin,and the kudus are plain.The niches on the projecting posts of the three sides have square pilasters with arched tops,while those in the recessesx are surmounted by pancharams. The southern niche contains a sculpture of Jnana Dakshinamurti and the northern one of Brahma, while the western is empty. Pieces of the original vyalavari, which were evidently removed when the brick vimanan was renovated, have now been built into the prakara wall.At the junction of the ardhamandapa with the sanctum, and in the middle along its length ,there are empty niches, each of which is surmounted by an arch; on either side of the central niche are two shallow niches surmounted by pancharam. Between the ardhamandapa and mahamandapa there is porch,with doorways on the south and north which are now closed.There is niche surmounted by pancharams on either side of the entrance to the sanctum.The pillars inside the mahamandapa are cylindrical and carry tenoned corbels.To the north of the mahamandapa is the Amman shrine which is crude imitation of the main shrine.Among the bronzes in this temple is a Somaskanda group belonging to the Later Chola period.
Tanjore Big Temple, Great Living Chola Temples, Tamil Nadu, India
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Alambakkam was in Pallava times called Dantivarma-mangalam,renamed Madurantaka-caturvedimangalam in the time of Parantaka-I or Sundara chola.The form of siva which was worshipped here is called Amaresvara Perumal in the two inscriptions of the third and the fifth year of Parakesarivarma (Parantaka- I) which are the earliest on the temple.The temple may therefore be datable to c. A.D. 910.These were written on the board in first picture!
Both the vimana and ardhamandaba are original.The former is c.19 ft, in width and has a slightly protected bhadra. The Padabandha adhisthana (partly buried), and the unadorned Brahmakanta pilasters are rather heavy-looking.The west niche shows vishnu; on the north is Brahma.The south niche is vacant.Ther is a bhutamala beneath the kapota.Impressive dvarapalakas ,in slit niches, flank the ardhamandapa door.This shrine is rather ordinary and adds little to our knowledge of Parantaka's period.
Photos taken for urban streetwear clothing company www.ClassyRiot.com. I used a Nikon D40x with a 50mm lens in Downtown Los Angeles around 5PM
The Great Chola Temples of southern India are an exceptional testimony to the development of the architecture and the ideology of the Chola Empire and the Tamil civilization in southern India. They represent an outstanding creative achievement in the architectural conception of the pure form of the Dravida type of temple (characterized by a pyramidal tower).. The great temple of Tanjore was built in a few years, from 1003 to 1010, during the reign of the great king Rajaraja (985-1014), true founder of the Chola Empire which spread throughout the whole of southern India, part of Ceylon and the Maldive and Laccadive archipelagos.
The Brahadeewarar templeat Thanavur called the Big Temple, is dedicated to Lord Siva. It was built by the great Chola King Raja Raja 1 (985 -1012 A.D). It is an outstanding exmple of Chola architecture. Recognizing its unique architectural excellence, UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage Monument as "Great Living Chola Temples".The entire temple structure is made out of granite. The 64. 8 Mt. tall vimanam (tower over the sanctum sanctorum) is testimony to the engineering skill of the Cholas.
It is jewel among of all four temples of Chola architectural wonder . The other temples are are Gangai Konda Cholapuram, Darasuram and Thirubhuvanam.
History of Airavatesvara temple
Palaiyarai is ancient temple city and the Capital of the Cholas. King Raja Kambeera Mamannan, Raja Raja Chola II (1146 A.D. to 1172 A.D) changed his capital from Gangaikonda Cholapuram to Palaiyarai and renamed it as Raja Raja Puram (at present it is Darasuram). There were 1000 Thaligal (temples) in palaiyarai .There were 4 padai veedus (Military Camps) on al the four directions of the Capital. Thalicherippendirgal were appointed by the king to develop fine arts especially music and dance in the temple during festival occasions. King Raja Raja II constructed in his name a beautiful temple called Raja Rajechuram (at present Airavatheeswara) in1160 A.D. to 1162 A.D. This Raja Rajechuram (Raja Rajeschuram – Tharechuram – Darachuram -Darasurm) became Darasuram at present. It is a world heritage monument protected by UNESCO.
Mythology :
Airavatham is an elephant (white in colour) and is a vehicle of Indra. It was cursed by sage Durvasa to lose its shining white. Airavatha came to his temple and got its original colour after worshipping the Lord. Hence the deity came to known as Airavatheeswara (the protector or the elephant).
Chola Cactus Garden. Joshua Tree National Park, California.
Hasselblad 500cm, 80mm CB Zeiss Planar, Fuji Pro 160NS.
Chandesa Anugrahamurthi and saraswathi figures are considered to be master pieces of Chola archaeology.
Chandesa anugrahamurthi: description- Siva seated on a throne with four arms carries axe and antelope in his upper arms; with the lower one the Lord is seen crowning Chandesa with garland of flowers, a symbol of affection and stewardship. Chandesa is seen seated in front and with folded arms and receiving the pride of place bestowed on him by his Lord. Chandesa is the embodiment of devotion and piety and the place he attained is considered the highest, a devotee of Siva is priviledged with. It is called the Chandesa padam, the abode of deliverance- History of Gangai Konda Cholapuram by Archaeological Dept Tamil Nadu
Gangaikonda Cholapuram (Tamil: கங்கைகொண்ட சோழபுரம்) was erected as the capital of the Cholas by Rajendra Chola I, the son and successor of Rajaraja Chola, the great Chola who conquered a large area in South India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Sumatra, Kadaram (Kedah in Malaysia), Cambodia and others at the beginning of the 11th century A.D . The great temple of Siva at this place is next only to the Brihadisvara temple at Thanjavur in its monumental nature and surpasses it in sculptural quality.
உ ண்பனவும் உடுப்பனவும் உனக்கு ஆகுக : Said Lord Siva at that time.
The Chola Empire
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The Chola dynasty (Tamil: சோழர் குலம் [ˈt͡ʃoːɻə]) was a Tamil dynasty which was one of the longest-ruling in some parts of southern India. The earliest datable references to this Hindu dynasty are in inscriptions from the 3rd century BC left by Asoka, a northern ruler; the dynasty continued to reign over varying territory until the 13th century AD.
The heartland of the Cholas was the fertile valley of the Kaveri River, but they ruled a significantly larger area at the height of their power from the later half of the 9th century till the beginning of the 13th century. The whole country south of the Tungabhadra was united and held as one state for a period of two centuries and more. Under Rajaraja Chola I and his son Rajendra Chola I, the dynasty became a military, economic and cultural power in South Asia and South-east Asia. The power of the new empire was proclaimed to the eastern world by the celebrated expedition to the Ganges which Rajendra Chola I undertook and by the overthrow after an unprecedented naval war of the maritime empire of Srivijaya, as well as by the repeated embassies to China. During the period 1010–1200, the Chola territories stretched from the islands of the Maldives in the south to as far north as the banks of the Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh. Rajaraja Chola conquered peninsular South India, annexed parts of what is now Sri Lanka and occupied the islands of the Maldives. Rajendra Chola sent a victorious expedition to North India that touched the river Ganges and defeated the Pala ruler of Pataliputra, Mahipala. He also successfully invaded kingdoms of the Malay Archipelago. The Chola dynasty went into decline at the beginning of the 13th century with the rise of the Pandyas, who ultimately caused their downfall.
The Cholas left a lasting legacy. Their patronage of Tamil literature and their zeal in building temples have resulted in some great works of Tamil literature and architecture.The Chola kings were avid builders and envisioned the temples in their kingdoms not only as places of worship but also as centres of economic activity.They pioneered a centralised form of government and established a disciplined bureaucracy.
The Chola Art
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The period of the imperial Cholas (c. 850 CE - 1250 CE) was an age of continuous improvement and refinement of the Dravidian art and architecture. They utilised their prodigious wealth earned through their extensive conquests in building long-lasting stone temples and exquisite bronze sculptures. Most of these still stand proudly articulating those glorious days.
The Chola period is also remarkable for its sculptures and bronzes. Among the existing specimens in the various museums of the world and in the temples of South India may be seen many fine figures of Siva in various forms, Vishnu and his consort Lakshmi, Siva saints and many more. Though conforming generally to the iconographic conventions established by long tradition, the sculptor worked in great freedom in the eleventh and the twelfth centuries and the sculptures and bronzes show classic grace, grandeur and perfect taste. The best example of this can be seen in the form of Nataraja the Divine Dancer.
While the stone sculptures and the inner sanctum image empowering the temple remained immovable, changing religious concepts during the 10th century demanded that the deities take part in a variety of public roles similar to those of a human monarch. As a result, large bronze images were created to be carried outside the temple to participate in daily rituals, processions, and temple festivals. The round lugs and holes found on the bases of many of these sculptures are for the poles that were used to carry the heavy images. Admired for the sensuous depiction of the figure and the detailed treatment of their clothing and jewelry,
Although bronze casting has a long history in south India, a much larger and a much greater number of bronze sculptures were cast during the Chola period than before, further attesting to the importance of bronze sculpture during this period. It should be noted that when in worship, these images are covered in silk cloths, garlands, and jewels, and would not appear as they do outside a religious context. Decorating the bronzes in this way is a tradition at least a thousand years old as such decorations are referred to in 10th-century Chola inscriptions.
Hundreds of Chola bronzes have been smuggled out of India and have found their way into the private museums of art-collectors.
Chola period bronzes were created using the lost wax technique. It is known in artistic terms as "Cire Perdue". The Sanskrit Shilpa texts call it the Madhu Uchchishtta Vidhana.
Beeswax and kungilium (a type of camphor) are mixed with a little oil and kneaded well. The figure is sculpted from this mixture fashioning all the minute details. This is the wax model original.
The entire figure is then coated with clay made from termite hills until the mould is of a necessary thickness. Then the whole thing is dried and fired in an oven with cow-dung cakes. The wax model melts and flows out, while some of it vapourises.
The metal alloy of bronze is melted and poured into the empty clay-mould. This particular bronze alloy is known as Pancha Loham. When the metal has filled all crevices and has settled and hardened and cooled, the mould is broken off. The bronze figure thus obtained is then cleaned, finer details are added, blemishes are removed, smoothened, and polished well. Hence each bronze icon is unique and the mould cannot be used to create copies.
The forms of Chola bronzes are very plastic. They are devoid of intricate ornaments and designs. They are very expressive. There is grace, elegance, beauty, and above all else - life. By means of the facial expressions and gestures or mudras and the pose, we can imagine the surroundings of the figure of the god or goddess; what instrument or weapon he or she is holding; what he or she is leaning on; and what he or she is doing or about to do.
There is a pose called Rishabaandhika pose. We see Siva standing with one leg crossed over to the other side, across the other leg . We see that the way His arm is flexed and raised, it is resting on something. The way that His body is tilted suggests that He is leaning on something. In this scenario, Siva is leaning on his bull-vahana, Nandhi, on whose shoulders He is resting His arm.
The most famous of all the bronze icons is that of Nataraja.The symbolism presents Siva as lord of the cosmic dance of creation and destruction. He is active, yet aloof, like the gods on the Parthenon Frieze. Surrounding Siva, a circle of flames represents the universe, whose fire is held in Shiva's left rear palm. His left front arm crosses his chest, the hand pointing in "elephant trunk" position (gaja hasta) to his upraised left foot, which signifies liberation. His right foot tramples the dwarf Apasmara, who represents ignorance.
Siva's right front hand is raised in the "fear-not" gesture of benediction (abhaya mudra), while his right rear hand holds a drum with which he beats the measure of the dance. The snake, an emblem of Siva, curls around his arm. His hair holds the crescent moon - another emblem - and a small image of Ganges, the river-goddess whose precipitous fall from heaven to earth is broken by Siva's matted locks.
In 1931, Chola frescoes were discovered within the circumambulatory corridor of the Brihadisvara Temple, by S.K.Govindasamy, a professor at the Annamalai University. These are the first Chola paintings discovered. The passage of the corridor is dark and the walls on either side are covered with two layers of paintings from floor to ceiling.
Researchers have discovered the technique used in these frescoes. A smooth batter of limestone mixture is applied over the stones, which took two to three days to set. Within that short span, such large paintings were painted with natural organic pigments.
During the Nayak period, the Chola paintings were painted over. The Chola frescos lying underneath have an ardent spirit of saivism is expressed in them. They probably synchronised with the completion of the temple by Rajaraja Chola.