“Though the great Cholas are no more yet their name is still remembered with great pride because of their highest achievements in the domain of art and architecture.” Comment.

“The Cholas (9th–13th century CE), under great rulers like Rajaraja Chola I and Rajendra Chola I, were not just conquerors; they were also great patrons of art, whose temples and sculptures still stand as a testament to their artistic excellence.”

## Achievements of Cholas in Art and architecture

### Temple architecture

• Boundary walls:Eg. Airavatesvara temple at Darasuram in Tamil Nadu.


• Vimana: The vimanas rose above the sanctum sanctorum (garbhagriha) of the temple in the form of a stepped pyramid that rises up linearly rather than curved.Eg- Brihadeshwara temple at Tanjore has highest vimana of any temple.


• Gopuram: The front wall had a high entrance gateway known as gopuram.Eg. Nageshwarswamy temple in Tamilnadu has one of the highest gopurams.


• Shikhara: The crowning element is shaped like an octagon and is known as shikhara. Eg. Raja rajeswara temple has largest shikhara stone in the world.


• Sculptures: The entrance of the garbhagriha had statues of Dwaarpal, Mithun and Yaksha.Eg. UNESCO site of Gangaikonda chola puramtemple has  Some of the stone sculptures on the niches –Nataraja, Dakshinamurthy, Harahari, Lingodbhava, Vishnu, Brahma, Mahishasura Mardini, Gnana Saraswathi, Chandes anugraha murti

### Painting

• Medium: Eg. The walls of the Chola temples, such as the Tanjore and Gangaikondacholapuram temples, contain numerous icons of large size with fine execution.


• Uniqueness: careful attention to facial expressions and hand gestures.eg. Thepainting of Rajaraja Chola I, listening to his preceptor Karuvur Devar.


• Themesrevolved around deities such as Shiva and Vishnu.

### Bronze sculptures

• Theimage of Nataraja (Lord Shiva as the cosmic dancer) –This masterpiece is admired for itsbalance, grace, and artistic depth.

## Achievements of Cholas in literature

• Patronage of Literature: advanced Tamil literature, fostering notable poets likeKalladanar, Kambana, and Avvaiyar.


• Key Works:Kalladanar’s Kalladamcelebrated Lord Shiva, whileThiruttakkadevar’s Seevagasinthamaniintroduced Jainism to Tamil audiences.


• Sanskrit Influence: Despite the Chola rulers’ support for Sanskrit, original Tamil works thrived, with Kambana notably translating the Ramayana, enriching Tamil literature’s evolution

## Bhakti movementunder Cholas reign

• Vaishnavite Alwars and Shaivite Nayanarsgot patronage under Chola Rulers.


• In the beginning of 10th century aNayanara saint Nambi-andar-nambiwrote a song which was named as‘Tiruktatotar tiruvantati’which produces a detailed information about the lives of the 63 Nayanara saints.


• In11th century Nambi-ander-nambi the court poet of Raja Raj Cholacompiled thesongs of the Nayanara saint in 11 Tirumurai.Which is considered to be one of the greatest text of Nayanara saints.


• Tamil veda- Nalayira Divya prabandhamcomposed byalwar poigaiduring Chola period.

## Coinage of Cholas

• Standardized and culturally fine tuned coins– Coins minted infine goldwithpotrait of king with his insignia or emblems like tiger and fishon one side andportrait of sitted goddess on other side.


• Rajendra 1 Cholahas issued one of most famous coins inscribing ‘Gangaikonda chola’ after his victory in Bengal, on java and Sumatra islands.

## Performing arts under Cholas

• Classical dances like Bharatnatyam flourishedduring Chola period because of Devdasi system.


• Cholasalso patronized staff fencingmarital art Silambam.


• Rajaraja Iwas instrumental inbringing back tevaram music to temples.


• The representation of Nataraja or Adal Vallan (king of dance) in the form of the idol was the motif of Tamil music, dance and drama with hymns composed by Nayanmars. eg. Oduvars and Padikam Paduvars: They were appointed to sing in the temples to recite Thirumurai (The Saiva canon).

## Other Achievements of Cholas

• Administrative Reforms:The Cholas decentralized administration, allowing local leaders and village assemblies (sabhas) to exercise autonomy. This allowed the empire to maintain control over vast territories while fostering strong local governance.


• Military Conquests:They expanded their influence across theIndian Ocean, launching successful naval expeditions toSri Lanka, theMaldives, and parts ofSoutheast Asia(e.g., Srivijaya in present-day Indonesia and Malaysia).


• Trade and Economic Growth:Ports likeNagapattinambecame thriving centers for international trade, with the Cholas exporting textiles, spices, and jewels.

The Chola dynasty may have faded from history, but their contributions to art and architecture endure as a symbol of India’s cultural and artistic zenith continuing to inspire pride and admiration, solidifying their eternal legacy in Indian history.

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