The Chola Empire stretched over all South India and the neighbouring islands. The period of the Chola Dynasty was described as the golden age of the Tamil culture.
The rulers of this great empire built magnificent temples that bear testimony to their ideology and the grandeur of their architecture and civilization.
The great temple of Thanjavur was built in a few years, from 1003 to 1010, during the reign of the great king Rajaraja, the true founder of the Chola Empire. The major temples are the Brihadiswara Temple at Thanjavur, the temple of Gangaikon-dacholisvaram and the Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram. The whole combined site is known as the Great Living Chola Temples.
The imperial rulers of the Chola Empire had developed the Dravidian style of temple architecture almost to perfection. A special feature of the Chola architecture is the purity of artistic tradition. The Brihadiswara Temple was declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in the year 1987.
Picture Credit : Google