Great Living Chola Temples

The Great Living Chola Temples are three temple complexes in Tamil Nadu characterized by stone gateways, pillared halls, and carved wall reliefs. Each structure includes courtyards with Nandi statues, smaller shrines, and covered corridors arranged around the central sanctuary.

Raja Raja Chola I erected the first temple in Thanjavur around the year 1010, while his son Rajendra I built the second in Gangaikonda Cholapuram. The third arose in Darasuram under Raja Raja Chola II during the 12th century, marking the end of the great Chola building projects.

The temples preserve living rituals and daily prayers conducted by Brahmins who recite Sanskrit hymns and light oil lamps before deities. Pilgrims walk clockwise around the shrines, marking their devotion through flowers, incense sticks, and coconuts offered at the entrances.

Visitors should cover shoulders and knees and remove shoes at the entrances. Morning and evening hours offer cooler temperatures and allow witnessing morning or evening ceremonies.

The shadows of the towers disappear completely at noon on the day of the equinox, demonstrating the precise astronomical alignment of the architects. Some wall sections in Darasuram contain tiny sculptures of dancers and musicians barely the size of a hand, showing fine details in their gestures.