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Kula Deivam (Family Deity) for the Cholas

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Kula Deivam (Family Deity) for the Cholas Paper: 1 Detail Study Of Natyashastra, Specially Dance Related Chapters And Sangita Ratnakar Module 15 Thanjavur Brihdeshvara Temple Many of the grand temples in South India were built by the kings of Chola dynasty. These temples are standing for centuries giving us an insight into the culture, architecture and civilization of that period. Initially, the temple building culture started by the Pallavas, gave a great heritage grandeur to the southern part of India. The successors of the Pallavas improvised and innovated the building the temples. The Cholas who were the immediate successors of Pallavas continued the tradition with perfection. Karikala, the early Chola emperor of the Sangam age is lost in the legendary grandeur. Several centuries later, Vijayaraya Chola conquered Mutharayars and established a small kingdom around Tanjore in Circa 850. This was developed into a gigantic empire by his successors. All the Chola kings and their ministers contributed towards building Shiva or Vishnu temples in South India. Rajaraja I also known as Arulmozhivarman / अ셁लमोजही ळममन ascended the throne in 985 A.D. He was a great warrior who extended the empire with his strong military forces. He was a great patron of art and literature and exercised religious tolerance. It was his genius and passion for building huge temples that urged him to build the magnificent Brihadeswara temple (Rajarajeswaram) at Tanjore. 0 His son Rajendra Chola І (1012-1044 A.D) also built a massive temple similar to the Tanjore temple in Gangaikonda Cholapuram, his capital and named it as Brihadeswara temple. As a mark of victory over the king of Varanasi, he built a tank in his capital and filled it with the waters of the Ganges. Hence he was called Gangaikonda Cholan. The great dynasty extended up to the rule of Kulotunga III. He was a great builder and added several temples to the glory of the Cholas. He built temples at Tirubhuvanam / ति셁भळु नम, Kanchipuram / क 車चीऩरु म, Madurai / मदरु ई, Chidambaram / चचद車बरम, Tiruvarur / ति셁ळ 셁र, Tiruvidaimarudur / ति셁वळदैम 셁दरु and Darasuram / द र सरु म. All of them stand till date, revealing the glorious Chola art and architecture. According to a legend the name Tanjai was derived from an asura named Tanjan who was killed by Lord Vishnu in this place. The devi temple of Nisumbasudani built by the Mutharayars was also the Kula deivam (family deity) for the Cholas. Tanjore is situated in the Cauvery delta. The tributaries of Cauvery flow through the city making it a fertile agricultural land. Temples in South India are not only a place of worship but have much more to offer. Centuries ago, temples were the centres for social gatherings and entertainment and were also exhibition halls for paintings and sculptures. They were also the store house of historic records in the form of inscriptions and copper plates. These records reveal the achievements of the king as well as the trade and civilization of people. The Pallavas were pioneers who built temples in stone. The Imperial Cholas adapted the art of building temples from their predecessors and attained perfection par excellence. They built temples in granite stones that could not be destroyed easily by natural calamities. The Cholas had a very big dream of constructing temples in stone which included art, architecture, religion, music, dance, painting, sculpture, inscriptions, copperplates, bronze icons and above all, the spiritual essence. The Cholas ruled the entire south Indian delta from the 9th to the 12th centuries, having Tanjore as their capital. They were great conquerors and their kingdom extended from north-eastern India to the southern- most parts like Sri Lanka, Burma, Malayan Peninsula, Bali and few islands of South-east Asia. They built huge water tanks for irrigation and stone temples in the countries they conquered. The Brihadeswara temple built during the reign of Rajaraja Udayar is dedicated to Lord Siva. It was originally called the Peruvudaiyar Koyil / ऩे셁ळदु ैयर कोतयऱ , Periya Koyil / ऩेररय कु इऱ (big temple) and Rajarajeswara Koyil / र जर जेळर कु इऱ . During the Maratha period it came to be called as Brihadeswara (the Great Eshwara) temple. The Brihadeswara temple was the dream project of King Rajaraja Chola and he planned and built it for more than two years along with expertise advice from scholars of various fields, before starting the temple work. He appointed a well- versed and experienced architect named Rajaraja Perunthatchan / र जर ज ऩे셁ꅍथ 配चन to lead the temple project. The king consulted and sought advice from Isana Sivapanditar, the royal priest and Karuvur Devar, a siddhapurusha / ससद्धऩ셁ु ष and guru to the king regarding the construction and later about the religious procedures to be implemented in the temple. The king aspired and was determined to build this temple in granite. There were no mountains or granite available in a 100 kilometre radius from Tanjore. He procured the stone slabs from the nearby villages and transported them by carts pulled by elephants and horses. He made special mud roads for the carts to transport the goods to the temple. Thousand years ago, it must have been a stupendous effort. King Rajaraja brought cart loads of wealth and gold from the battles he won and spent them in building the temple. The war prisoners were utilized according to their skills in constructing the temple. Construction The Brihadeswara temple reveals the Dravidian style of architecture. It stands majestically in a sprawling place with an outer wall. The plinth of the central shrine measures 45.72 square meters. The vimana is 60.96 metres high. The dome or the sikhara (the vimana) is octagonal and rests on a single block of granite which weighs 81.284 kilograms. The tower is sixteen times the height of the main Linga and this is a significant feature in this temple. Thousand years ago, there were no modern amenities such as cranes to carry heavy stone slabs to the desired height. The group of stones on the top of the gopuram was raised to the current height by dragging them on an inclined plane which had its base 6.44 kilometres away. The vast courtyard of the temple is about 11612.88 square metres in area and is surrounded by a cloister. In the year 1010 A.D., the vimana was covered with gold. At the entrance, there are two gopurams widely separated from each other. The second gopuram is decorated by carvings. There are two dwarapalas. The carvings illustrate Shaivaite stories. Beyond the gopuram is a huge nandi facing the central shrine in the courtyard. The linga installed in the sanctum sanctorum is 3.66 metres high and is called Dakshinameru vitankan / दक्षऺणमे셁 वळि 車कन and Rajarajeshwaram after the name of the king Rajaraja. In many parts of the structure, over the time, the white granite used has decolorized to a pale red. Near the main shrine the stones are in black granite. The passages around the sanctum contain beautiful paintings and sculptural art. Beautiful and colourful frescos adorn the ceilings. Figures of Shiva Tandava in different poses are portrayed in the first floor around the sanctum, in the inner ambulatory. The sculptures are carved in blocks of stones in situ. These panels are in the same level throughout. Three sides of the inner prakhara have sculptures of Shiva – one holding the spear, one a sword and the third with ten arms dancing in catura pose as Vishnu plays the drums and Devi sits in padmasana with a lotus and rosary. On the western side, the entire wall has a huge panel of Dakhinamurthi seated in a yogic pose watching the dance of two apsaras, while Vishnu and other ganas are part of the musical band. A few princely figures saints and warriors are also present. There is a scene depicted with a woman cheerfully cooking for the wedding. There is a large figure of Nataraja dancing, watched by devotees, princes etc. There is a painting of Rajaraja with his guru Karuvur Devar / क셁ळरु देळर. The entire northern wall is covered by a gigantic figure of Tripurantaka Siva on a chariot driven by Brahma. Tripurantaka in the alidha pose with eight arms carrying weapons to demolish the demons is accompanied by Kartikeya on a peacock, Ganesha on a mouse, Kali on a lion and Nandi in front. All these paintings and sculptures reveal great craftsmanship with power, grandeur and rhythm. The highest achievement of the Chola art in stones is revealed in presenting the dance karanas in the inner walls of the temple. Here Lord Nataraja is depicted as dancing the karanas. The huge monolithic nandi is 16 feet long and 13 feet tall. It is situated in the centre of the front square. Life-size idols of ashtadikpalas that were originally installed in the temple have now been removed to a separate temple premises. There is a portrait of King Rajaraja praying to Lord Nataraja, which is one of its kind to depict the monarch inside the temple. Endowments King Rajaraja made enormous endowments for the Brihadeswara temple. The royal family members, noblemen, high officials, merchants, artisans, dancers, musicians and the common man presented gold and silver jewellery and money to the temple. These donations are described in the inscriptions. Most of the original jewellery is lost. The remaining jewellery, some bronze statues of Nataraja, Tripurantaka, Devi, and Ganesha reveal the great artistry of the Chola period. There are descriptive information regarding the jewelry worn by the dancers and the royal princes. Different varieties of pearls, diamonds and rubies are mentioned in the inscription. Dancers, musicians, cooks, gardeners, flower gatherers, garland makers, wood carvers, sculptors, painters, choir groups for singing Sanskrit and Tamil hymns, dance teachers, accountants, watchmen, other officials and servants to clean up the temple premises were all appointed in the temple service.
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