Search Results: Chola

Like many great civilisations, the origins of the Chola, a Tamil Hindu dynasty in southern India, are shrouded in the temporal mists of uncertainty and obscurity. It is however known that they were influential from at least the 3rd century...

The great Temple of Tanjore (Thanjavur) was built between 1003 and 1010 AD in the reign of the great King Rajaraja, founder of the Chola Empire which stretched over all of South India and the neighbouring islands. Source: UNESCO TV /...

This map shows the extent of the Chola Empire during the reign of Rajendra I Chola (1012 - 1044 CE), around c. 1030 CE. It also shows the naval conquests of the Cholas in both India and Southeast Asia.

This is a Chola artist's depiction of the king Rajendra I (1014-44 CE) fighting his enemies, including elephants, in a Chola-built temple "almost a thousand years ago" (Exact date not known). Location: Kolaramma Temple, Kolar, Karnataka...

A bronze Chola sculpture of the Hindu god Shiva as the Lord of the Dance or Shiva Nataraja. He is represented in his triple role as Creator, Preserver, and Destroyer. Created c. 11th century CE. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

A bronze Chola sculpture of Shiva Chandrashekhara – Lord Crowned with the Moon. The figure holds an antelope in his left rear arm and a battleaxe in his right rear arm, which emphasise his role as a protector, especially of the animal kingdom...

A bronze Chola sculpture of Shiva Vinadhara – Player of the Vina. He once held a lute-like vina, while his left and right rear hands still hold an antelope and battleaxe. Created 900-1300. (Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio, USA)

This is a model of a Chola ship, rebuilt by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Location: Government Museum, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu state, India

Elephants were used in the ancient Indian army, irrespective of regions, dynasties, or points in time; their importance was never denied and continued well into the medieval period as well. The ready availability in the subcontinent of the...

Thanjavur (Tanjavur or Tanjore) is a temple site in the Tamil Nadu region of southern India. Thanjavur was the capital of the great Chola (Cola) king Rajaraja I, and it was he who commissioned the site's magnificent temple, the Brihadishvara...