Great Living Chola Temple at GKC

June 2024: Had the opportunity of visiting and admiring the Great Living Chola Temple at GKC.

First things first — What is the Great Living Chola Temple? What is GKC? The Great Living Chola Temples is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Not a single site though, it comprises of 3 famous temples, all within a radius of around 75 kilometers:

1. Brigadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur
2. Brihadiswara Temple at GKC (The one we visited)
3. Airavatevara Temple at Darasuram

The sobriquet, ‘ Great Living Chola Temples’ and recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage site is because these temples define the purest form of Dravidian temple architecture. They also bear witness to the architectural skills and ideology of the Chola empire and give us a glimpse of ancient Tamil civilization. Regular poojas are carried out in these temples to this day — Living Chola Temples.

GKC is the abbreviated form of Gangaikondacholapuram, a small village in Ariyalur district of Tamil Nadu now, but served as the bustling capital of the Chola empire for nearly 250 years. The city of Gangai Konda Cholan is the meaning. Emperor Rajendra I, after making conquests in the central and eastern parts of India till the Ganges River, (as also Maldives, south-east Asia, Sri Lanka) ordered that the waters of the Ganges be carried in pots to fill the sacred well in the Gangaikondacholapuram temple. He earned the title ‘Gangai Konda Cholan’, meaning the Chola who conquered the Ganges.

Cut to the present – We had travelled for two hours from Panruti, a town we had visited and soon before us we could see the parking lot and the imposing gopuram of the Brihadisvara Temple at GKC. Strange, but for the temple, there are no signs of this place having been the capital of the Cholas. Though shrouded in mystery, it is believed that the capital was destroyed by the Pandyas and later razed to the ground by Mallik Gafoor. How the temple survived is surprising. Even more surprising is that subsequent additions to the temple were made by the Pandyas and the Vijayanagar rulers.

The sun was high in the sky. Yet, as we walked barefoot into the temple complex, with its well-manicured lawns, a nice breeze was blowing, that kept us cool.

Very neatly maintained, the temple is well preserved too. The carvings and statues seem as good as new. As we climbed up the few steps to reach the sanctum sanctorum through the Ardha Mandapa, we could see many families on the lawns, enjoying their day out, clicking selfies and having small picnics.

The giant Nandi in front of the Lord, but in the open is said to be one of the largest in Tamil Nadu. What an imposing sight!

The main temple is at an elevation. We climbed up the few steps, passed the Artha Mandapa and soon we were before the sanctum sanctorum or Garbagruha. The sanctum sanctorum with Dvarapalas of six feet each on either side presents an awe-inspiring first view of Lord Brihadesvara in the form of a Lingam. Possibly the largest lingam in size in Tamil Nadu, is around 4 meters tall with the circumference at the base, said to be around 18 meters.

Completed in 1035 AD, this temple resembles the Brigadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur, with a square base and symmetric dimensions converging at the top in a conical form, something different from the commonly seen gopurams or temple towers in Tamil Nadu. The tower is 55 meters tall and is said, Rajendra I deliberately kept its height lower than that of the Brigadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur, as a mark of respect to his father Raja Raja Chola who had built it. If one visits both the temples, it can be seen how similar they are, yet different from the usual temples seen in the state.

Stepping out of the main temple, we visited the other smaller shrines in the complex, admired the still well-maintained carvings on the walls and did a parikrama round the temple.

As we walked across the lawns, got to see the Lion Well or Singa Kinaru, which was filled with waters from the Ganges.

As we walked towards our car, we were still in awe of the great Chola architectural marvel. Rightly called the Great Living Chola Temples. A must-visit for people not only with a religious bent of mind but those who understand and appreciate history too. Around 275 kilometers from Chennai, a visit can cover all three magnificent temples. Spend sufficient time at each place to appreciate the passion and skills of the great Chola kings.