QUES . “The Dravidian style of temple architecture reached its culmination under the Cholas.” Comment.

RELEVANCE – UPSC GS MAINS PAPER I ; TOPIC – Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

HINTS:

The two major temple styles of ancient India, namely the Nagara and Dravida, was formalised and crystallised during the fifth and sixth centuries A.D. The Dravidian style of construction was initiated largely by the Pallavas in a more permanent medium during the sixth century A.D. which reached its culmination under the Cholas.

The features of Chola architecture and sculpture were:

■ The dvarapalas, or guardian figures, at the entrance to the mandapa, or hall which started from the Palava period became a unique feature of the Chola Temples.

■ The Dravidian Style got fully developed after a transition from the rock cut structures of the Pallava Period.

■ Early Chola temples at the Bank of river Kaveri were smaller and brick made, in comparison to the colossus buildings of the Imperial Cholas.

■ The temples of the Imperial Cholas are covered with exquisite well composed sculptures and frescoes.

■ Largest and tallest of all Indian temples i.e. Siva Temple of Thanjore was built in Chola Period. Ganas, among the sculptures at the temple, are the most memorable figures made in Chola temples.

■ The main shrine is the most dominant feature of the Chola temples, and in the Brihadisvara temple, it reaches the highest watermark. The sikhara of the Brihadisvara temple is the tallest among all the temples of south India. The construction of the entrance gopura also crystallises during this period which is
reflected in the first entrance gopura of the temple.

■ The Airavateswara temple at Darasuram near Thanjavur built during the reign of Rajaraja Chola II is a magnificent structure typical of the stage of architectural development reached in the 12th century CE. This temple has artistic stone pillars and decorations on its walls, in a style bordering on mannerism, with an emphasis on elongated limbs and polished features. Best among them are the dark black basalt figures in the temple niches of Dakshinamurti, the image on the southern side of Shiva in a teaching attitude, and to the west, Shiva erupting out of the pillar of light to convince Brahma and Vishnu of his superiority. The front mandapam is in the form of a huge chariot drawn by horses. The horse-drawn chariot is carved on the front of the mandapam. The chariot and its wheel are so finely sculpted that they include even the faintest details

■ The Chola period is also remarkable for its sculptures and bronzes. Many fine figures of Siva in various forms accompanied by his consort Parvati and the other gods, demigods and goddesses of the Saivaite pantheon, Vishnu and his consort Lakshmi , the Nayanmars, other Saiva saints can be seen ·

■ Though conforming generally to the iconographic conventions established by long tradition, the sculptor could also exercise his imagination within the boundaries of the canonical Hindu iconography and worked in greater freedom during the eleventh and the twelfth centuries. As a result, 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 sculpture and the inner sanctum image empowering the temple remained immovable, changing religious concepts during the period around 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. The deities in bronze who participated in such festivities were sumptuously clothed and decorated with precious jewellery.

■ Although bronze casting has a long history in south India, a much larger and a much greater number of bronze sculptures in all sizes ranging from massive to miniature were cast during the Chola period than before, further attesting to the importance of bronze sculpture during this period.

■ Chola period bronzes were created using the lost wax technique or cire perdue The forms of Chola bronzes are very plastic. They are devoid of intricate ornaments and designs in comparison with the subsequent bronzes of the Vijayanagar and Nayaka period. There is gentle grace, a restrained and quiet
elegance, an ethereal, out-worldly beauty, and above all else – a life that throbs and pulsates and thereby enlivens the bronze sculpture. By means of the facial expressions, the gestures or mudras the overall body posture and other accompanying bronzes we can imagine the surroundings and the religious context of the figure of the god or goddess

These are some of the important features of architecture and sculpture during the time of Cholas.