the chola dynasty ruled from AD 900-1150. the zenith of the chola temple architecture can be seen at thanjavur. it was the capital established by the chola ruler Rajaraja 1. the shrines have rising pyramidal towers crowned with domical roofs. the walls are embellished by the sculptures and paintings. the bronze sculptures and stone temples of this period are one of the finest in the whole of the south india.
the big temple at thanjavur is within a huge compound with walls rising above 15m. the temple is made over a 29 m square base and has a soaring vimana and a stunted gopuram. the inner sanctum and the gopuram were constructed over a period of 12 years. it was constructed from a single piece of granite weighing around 80 tunes. the dome was hauled into place along a 4 km earth work ramp in a manner similar to the egyptian pyramids.
a huge statue of nandi measuring 6m length and 3.7 m in height faces the inner sancttum.the statue of nandi was created from a single rock pieces and weights 25 tones. it is in fact one of the largest statues of nandi bulls in india. the temple also has a pacious ground, number of pillared halls,shrines and 250 lingams.
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