Tanjore

Visiter

  Located  on  right  bank of the Kaveri river, upstream of the delta of this powerful river which irrigates a rich person and vast agricultural area, very populated, Tanjore primarily known and is visited for its marvellous temple of Brihadishvara, set up by theGreat Emperor Chola Râjarâja    between 985 and 997. As a capital of the Chola kingdom, between 907 and 1310, Tanjore constituted the principal center of the  dravidian culture . Still today, Tanjore is the musical metropolis of South  India.  Under the patronage of the Cholas , art, and the religious architecture  flourished and even today this is well known for its own school in various fields . Even later, Nayak and Marathes continued to built  the temples rested by their predecessors.

Thus, there are  even more than 70 temples in the area of Tanjore. But the largest  temple  is that of  Brihadishvara, considered  the  most beautiful of Chola architecture. Built out of pink sandstone and it appears in all its gilded splendour, the evening when it is illuminated by the setting sun.

Passing the two successive entries, initially the first gopuram, a rectangular enclosure of 270 meters by  140 m, then the second gopuram, more modest, one remains seized by the colossal dimension, and harmonizes it which emerges from the enormous monument, established in the second part of the esplanade encircled of a 150 meters length enclosure by  75  width.

The pyramidal vimana of thirteen stages rises thus with some 70 meters height, and it is still surmounted by an incredible monolithic cupola which would weights  80 tons. This vimana is decorated of a profusion of statues to bright whiteness.

The immense court is especially marked by beautiful and large black stone  Nandi.

The walls external of the temple are decorated, as in Gangaikondacholapuram and Darasuram, of niches containing fort beautiful statues of gods: Ganesh, Vishnu and its parèdres (Shakti), Shiva Bhikshâtâna-Mûrti, Virabhadra, Shiva Dakshinâmûrti, Harihara, Ardhanarishvara, Gangadhara, Durgâ on the buffalo (Mahishasuramardini), etc.

The access to the temple by a monumental staircase leads to a porch with columns. The entry is kept by two large Dvârapâla. All at the bottom of the temple, in the cella, the gigantic lingam would measure ten meters height; only the higher part of it is seen.

On the circumference of the temple, were set up, as in Gangaikondacholapuram, of the additional vaults:

In the North-East, close to the house to Nandi, Devî (Pârvatî), remarkable by its beautiful painted ceilings.

With the periphery of the large interior court, a covered gallery shelters aligned series of lingam. One will notice in certain parts, of the murals of the 18th century, illustrating mythological scenes.

Downtown, one will devote one moment to visit Râjarâja Chola Museum, precisely famous for his bronze collection of Chola time. The large room is let see with pleasure because the statues are about well presented. But one second room, where a remarkable series of Shiva Natarâja is gathered is afflicting. Under a lighting blafard, these splendid works, locked up in dusty cages of glass, lost all their magic.

In the same enclosure of the Royal Palate, one will throw a glance on considerable Sarasvatî Library, library being a library, as each one knows.

The amateurs will visit the Palate of Maharâja and its art gallery.

Kumbakonam

While coming from Chidambaram (or Pondichery) towards Tanjore, Kumbakonam is the first city where one can remain. Although hotel trade is not of the 5 *, it is advised to station there, because the neighbourhoods are rich in places of visits.

Famous center of pélerinage of India of the South, Kumbakonam gathers every twelve years of considerable crowd around her crowned basin, Mahamakam, when, according to a legend, Gange fills this basin. It is bordered of sixteen templions which confer a certain elegance to him. A temple, bearing the same name, is adjacent for him.

The temples of Kumbakonam can only compete of interest with the major centers constitute Tanjore, Gangaikondachopuram and Darasuram. One can however recommend the visit of the following temples, the majority of Chola time:

The temple of Shiva Kumbeshvara ("Shiva Lord of the Pots") is most known. Its gopuram was restored and the statues are very coloured, as they were it at the time of construction.

The temple of Vishnu Sarangapani ("the Lord of the Musical instruments")

The temple of Nageswara Swami. In the court, a mandapa presents the particular shape of a tank drawn by two elephants and two horses (ratha). The principal temple proposes some beautiful statues of Shiva Dakshinamûrti (in the south), Ardhanarishvara (in the  west), and Brahmâ with three heads (in the  north).

There also is a  temple of Chakrapani (Vishnu).

The temple of Ramaswami (Nayak time) appears by far more varied and most interesting. The mandapa has square pillars decorated of abundant and good sculptures. In an interior court, one will admire significant and old painted mural frescos depicting the stories of various  episodes of Râmâyana.

Darasuram

Darasuram is only a few kilometres from Kumbakonam. One visits there the very beautiful temple of Airavateshvara, devoted to Shiva. It is a masterpiece, built by one of the largest kings of the dynasty chola, Rajarajachola between 1150 and 1175. This king was also the manufacturer of the major temples of Tanjore (Brihadishvara) and Gongaikondacholapuram.

The external sculptures are particularly beautiful and provide a condensed panorama of many Hindu divinities:

Ardhanarishvara (the Lord of which a half is male, and the other female half): it is a form of Shiva, symbolizing that God is neither entirely male, nor entirely female, but that it takes up the two duties, like Pure Conscience (Shiva) and energy of action (Shakti), Virabhadra (warlike form of Shiva), Kalabhairava (terrible form of Shiva), Dakshinamûrti (Shiva meditating), Ganesh, etc.

General architecture clarifies the space division of the outside of the temple, towards the "Holy of Holies" (the cella, graba-griha). The gantry (mukha mandapa) is in form of ratha (tank of procession). The maha mandapa (hypostyle hall) is decorated splendid carved columns and comprises to him also statues of divinities: Sarasvatî and Pârvatî for example; Sarasvatî is Shakti of the Brahmâ god and Pârvatî that of the Shiva god.

Swamimalai

With little distance from Darasuram, the village of Swamimalai offers two characteristics:

A temple of Murugan is built in height on a small hillock, of which the lower part is devoted to Shiva. It is here that, according to the legend, Murugan (= Kartikkeya).

Swamimalai is a center of production of statues and various objects of bronze according to the ancestral technique of bronze to lost wax.  It is  here that the use of the pañchaloha developed, alloy of five metals, of which gold and money for the clothes industry of the invaluable bronzes intended for the temples. It is quite obvious that the  totality of the manufactured objects with Swamimalai is only limited to an alloy of three metals .

Tiruvalanjuli

Always with a few kilometers only of Kumbakonam, the temple of Kapardisvara (Shiva), in Tiruvalanjuli, was built initially during the 10 2nd century. It was rebuilt and equipped by king Chola Râjarâja at the beginning with the 11 2nd century, as the inscriptions of the central sanctuary indicate it. The temple has two appendices in the honor of Ksetrapala and Ganesha whose later importance became larger than that even of Shiva. The temple of Ganesh is located just while entering of face; it comprises exceptional and very beautiful statue of sea foam Ganesh.

In addition, the temple is particularly remarkable for its paintings of the 17 2nd century of the Nayak period.

Pullamangai

With about fifteen kilometers before Tanjore, very close to Pasupatikoyil, one  can  visit,  the beautiful small Shiva temple  of Brahmapurishavar with Pullamangai. At the end of frame 9th  and  the beginning of 10 th century, therefore old Chola; besides it lets still appear the Pallava tradition.

The hall or ardha-mandapa, with flat roof, is surmounted by a small house decorated with sculptures to each angle. On the southern wall of the temple, in a niche, one finds a composition sculptural splendid with Ganesh, equipped with a typical gracious horn, curved at the end. Shaded by a beautiful parasol, it sat on a throne decorated with large petals of lotus.

With the top of the niche, one is will makara - torana of an exceptional richness of details.

Gangaikondacholapuram

The presence of the large temple of Gangaikondacholishvara in a very small village does not fail to astonish. It is however here that large Chola Rahandra 1st (1012-1044) made build this enormous building which is drawn up proudly in the medium of the surrounding countryside. Initial external enclosure it does not remain large thing. The temple itself is well emphasized by the well maintained lawns which surround it. It presents superb statues of divinities on the external walls (Ardhanarishvara, Shiva Natarâja, Shiva Lakulisha, Ganesh dancing - alas more or camouflaged by a fort unpleasant grid of so-called "protection", Shiva and Pârvatî, etc).

Of Dvârapâla (minor deities guardians of the holy places, often of wild aspect) impressive the various entries keep. One reaches inside the temple by a staircase in front of which large restored Nandi is held. The mandapa is deep and dark, the not very decorated columns. It is necessary to penetrate until the bottom of the temple in the ardha mandapa to see more closely colossal Shiva Lingam installed in the cella. It is said that it measures four meters height, of which a part only is visible. With the entry of the hall giving accesses to the cella (one does not enter), two enormous and wild Dvârapâla.

With a guide, one can be authorized to go up in large the vimana, a total height of almost 60 m, by very stiff staircases without rambarde; in top, one enjoys a beautiful panorama.

Around the principal temple, several small oratories mark out the course: Ganesh with the south-western angle, Pârvatî in south-east, Chandikeshvara in north

Velankanni

You will find yourselves here, not far from the sea, in a country quite different from all that you see elsewhere: it is that it is about a centre  of extremely important  Christian places of religious significance. Dimensions of the church are impressive...

Tiruvavur. Nagapattinam

On the road of Velankanni,  is  the temple of Nagarâja, still called temple of Nîlâyatâkshî (That which has the eyes black and lengthened) and also the temple of Thiagaraja with Tiruvavur

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