Great Living Chola Temples!

Brihadisvara Temple is situated at Gangaikonda Cholapuram in Ariyalur district of Tamil Nadu. It was completed in 1035 AD and is an excellent example of Dravidian style temples. It is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Tamil Nadu. The temple is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temple remains open from 4:00 AM -8:30PM. The best time to visit Gangaikonda cholapuram temple timings is from November till March.

The temple is famed for its bronze sculptures, artwork on its walls, the depiction of Nandi bull and the scale of its tower. There are five shrines around the sanctum and a Lion well. The temple site has a monolithic representation of the nine planetary deities. The Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple remains an active temple. Four daily rituals, and many yearly festivals are held there. This temple is renowned for having the best Shivalingam in the South India.

Except for this temple, the old city of Gangaikonda Cholapuram – the capital of a powerful Asian empire for over two centuries along with its other major Chola-era Hindu temples have been destroyed, leaving a desolate place.

How to reach:

By Air: The closest airport is in Trichy which is about 120 kilometres from the temple

By Train: The nearby city of Chidambaram is connected to other major cities by daily trains

By Road: Open transport is effectively accessible for the drive. Lot of buses available from Kumbakonam

Brihadeeswarar Temple is situated at Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu built between 1003 and 1010 AD. It is one of the largest South Indian temples and an exemplary example of a fully realized Dravidian architecture. The temple is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temple remains open from 5:30 AM to 12 PM and 4 PM to 8 PM

The original monuments of this temple were built around a moat. It included gopura, the main temple, its massive tower, inscriptions, frescoes and sculptures predominantly related to Shiva God. The vimana tower which is built out of granite above the sanctum is one of the tallest (approx. 66 meters) temple towers in world. The temple also has a massive corridor and one of the largest Shiva lingas in India. It is also famed for the quality of its sculpture, as well as being the location that commissioned the brass Nataraja – Shiva as the lord of dance, in 11th century.

There is also Nandi at the entry of this Temple, which is approximately thirteen feet in elevation and sixteen feet in length. Remarkably, this idol is made by a single rock carving.

How to reach:

By Air: The closest airport is in Trichy which is about 65 kilometres from the temple

By Train: The city of Thanjavur is connected to other major cities by daily trains

By Road: Thanjavur can be easily accessed from the nearby cities through bus. There are frequent government and private buses running to Thanjavur throughout the day

Airavatesvara Temple is situated in Darasuram, near Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu. This temple was built in the 12th century CE and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva who is venerated here as Airavateshwara as it is believed is the celestial elephant Airavata who worshipped Lord Shiva here. The vimanam of the temple is 24m high. The front mandapam is in the form of a huge chariot drawn by horses. It contains about 108 inscriptions about the lifer and principles of Saivaite saints. At present, parts of the temple such as the gopuram is in ruins, and the main temple and associated shrines stand alone.

How to reach:

By Air: The closest airport is in Trichy which is about 70 kilometres from the temple

By Train: The city of Kumbakonam is connected to other major cities by daily trains

By Road: Kumbakonam can be easily accessed from the nearby cities through bus