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TravelTriangle > Blog > Temples» > List Of 10 Chola Temples Built During The Chola Empire That Are Must Visit In 2022!

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List Of 10 Chola Temples Built During The
Chola Empire That Are Must Visit In 2022!

Written by

Nishi Agrawal

The Chola rulers were great builders and during their reign, the most magnificent
temples were built in South India. They ruled for nearly 1500 years and temples
became the centre of importance during their power. Splendid in architecture,
many official ceremonies were held in the Chola temples. It also became the hub
of economic, political, and cultural activities. This great UNESCO World Heritage
Site represents an outstanding creative achievement of the pure form of the
Dravida type of female which are now known as the “Great Living Chola Temples”.

3 Great Living Chola Temples

The Great Living Chola Temples are situated in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
The Chola rulers were really innovative builders. The Dravidian structures truly
reflect the property of the Chola Empire. Check out the below list of Great Living
Chola Temples with their names.

Brihadisvara Temple At Thanjavur

The Temple Of Gangaikonda Cholapuram
The Airavatesvara Temple At Darasuram
Vijayala-Cholesvaram
Ayikudi Balasubramanya Swami Temple
Nageswaraswamy Temple
Moovar Koil
Koranganatha
Valisvara Temple
Kampaheswarar Temple

1. Brihadisvara Temple At Thanjavur

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One of the famous Chola dynasty temples, it was built during the reign of Chola
king Raja Raja and designed by the famous architect Sama Varma between 1003
and 1010 AD. The Brihadisvara Temple houses the tallest vimanam in the world, a
3.7-meter tall linga of Lord Shiva. The simplicity of the design of the temple has
provided inspiration for other buildings not only in South India but also in South –
East Asia. It is one of the most prominent temples of Chola dynasty.

Location: Membalam Rd, Balaganapathy Nagar, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu 613007

Main Deity: Lord Shiva

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2.The Temple Of Gangaikonda Cholapuram

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Built by the Chola Emperor Rajendra I, the Temple of Gangaikonda Cholapuram is

described as the feminine counterpart of the Thanjavur temple. The centre of
administration and development was chosen as the Gangaikonda Choleswarar
Temple in the Chola Empire. The temple houses a 4 meter high Shiva lingam. This
lingam is tallest among the other Chola temples. Located in Tamil Nadu, this
temple is one of the most revered temples in South India.

Location: Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Tamil Nadu 612901

Main Deity: Lord Shiva

Suggested Read: 11 Mystical Temples In Coimbatore: A Must-Visit On Your Trip To

Tamil Nadu In 2022!

3.The Airavatesvara Temple At Darasuram

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Smaller than the other Great Living Chola Temples, this temple is dedicated to Lord
Shiva that acts as the epitome of Chola temples architecture. It was built by
Rajaraja II and the vimana of the temple is 24-metres high. According to the
legends, the heavenly elephant Airavat worshipped the deity here. The unique
temple design is recognized as nitya-vinoda, ‘ perpetual entertainment in mind’.
Undoubtedly, it is the most prominent place of worship amongst all the Chola
dynasty temples.

Location: Gurunathan Pillai Colony, Dharasuram, Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu

612702
Main Deity: Lord Shiva

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Sojourning The Tropical Paradise Of Southwest Shores

7 Other Chola Temples In Tamil Nadu

The principal deity of the Chola temples are Lord shiva and most of the temples
were carved in the temple walls. Read below to learn more about the temples built
by Cholas with information.

4.Vijayala-Cholesvaram

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One of the intriguing Chola kingdom temples, Vijayala-Cholesvaram in

Narthamalai is one of the oldest stone temples in South India. It is a temple
dedicated to Hindu God Shiva. The temple is constructed in the Dravida style and
rock-cut architecture. This style of architecture is an early example of Cholan art.

Location: Narthamalai, Tamil Nadu 622101

Main Deity: Lord Shiva

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Nadu

5.Ayikudi Balasubramanya Swami Temple

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Located in Thenkasi Taluk, in Thrunelveli District of Tamil Nadu, near Kutralam is

Ariyar kudi or Arya Kuti – ‘the abode of noble people’, popularly known as Ayikudi,
is this beautiful temple for Young Bala Muruga Peruman. The main deity in this
temple is a beautiful small mulavar murthy of Balasubramanya Swamy, also
popularly known as Rama Subramanya Swamy. Amongst all the temples of Chola
dynasty, this temple is certainly one of the most revered places of worship among
Hindus.

Location: Ayikudy, Tamil Nadu 627852

Main Deity: Lord Murugan

Suggested Read: 7 Festivals Of Tamil Nadu That’ll Take You Close To The
Traditions Of The State In 2022!

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6.Nageswaraswamy Temple

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Nageswaraswamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located in

Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu. Shiva in the guise of Lord Nagaraja is located in the
centre of Kumbakonam. The temple has a holy water tank known as Surya
Theertham. It also has colourful gopuram and huge idols with beautiful carvings
and scripts.

Location: Nageswaran N St, Gandhi Adigal Salai, Valayapettai Agraharam,

Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu 612001
Main Deity: Lord Shiva

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7.Moovar Koil

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Situated in the village of Kodumbalur, 36 kilometres from Pudukkottai in Tamil

Nadu, Moovar Koil or “The three temples” is a Hindu temple complex. These
temples were constructed by a 10th century Chola general Boothi Vikramakesari.
Currently, only two of the three temples have managed to survive. Kodumbalur
was also the venue of an intense battle between the Pandyas and Pallavas.

Location: Agarapatti, Kodumbalur, Tamil Nadu 621316

Main Deity: Lord Shiva

Suggested Read: 50 Best Tourist Places In Tamil Nadu Ensuring The Most
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8.Koranganatha

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Koranganatha temple is a Hindu temple constructed by the Medieval Cholas. One of

the Great Living Chola Temples, this temple which is not a functioning Hindu
temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Located at Srinivasanallur Town in Trichy
District of Tamilnadu it has a simple design.

Location: Srinivasanallur, Musiri, Tamil Nadu

Main Deity: Lord Vishnu

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9.Valisvara Temple

Image Source

Valisvara temple is a Hindu temple located in the town of Thiruvalisvaram in

Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. One of the Chola dynasty temples, this temple is
dedicated to Shiva where he is depicted in sukhasana pose. It was constructed by
the Cholas in the early part of the 10th century AD and is considered to be one of
the best examples of Chola architecture.

Location: Tamil Nadu 621004

Main Deity: Lord Shiva

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10.Kampaheswarar Temple

Image Source

Situated in the town of Thirubuvanam on the Kumbakonam road, the

Kampaheswarar temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the God Shiva. The temple
follows the Tamilian style of architecture. An unusual feature of the temple is that
the vimana is extremely high, unlike other Dravidian-style South Indian temples.

Location: No. 55, State Highway 64, Thirubuvanam, Tamil Nadu 612103
Main Deity: Lord Shiva

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Heat!

The Chola periods are regarded as one of the most creative and formative
periods of Tamil culture. Chola temples were built almost entirely of stone
and hard granite laid in horizontal courses with no mortar. Book your
holiday to Tamil Nadu to enhance the general knowledge of the Chola
period.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Chola

Temples
Q. What are the main features of Chola Temples?

A. There were many important features of Chola temples such as gopuram- the
gateway, vimana- the tower, garbagriha, mandapa, and shikhara.

Q. What was the role of temples during Chola kingdoms?

A. The grand design, beauty, and magnificence of the temples simply added to the
architectural splendor of the Chola capital.

Q. Why Brihadeshwara Temple is so famous?

A. Brihadeshwara Temple is one of the biggest temples that have been dedicated to
Lord Shiva. The supreme brilliance of Indian architecture that is showcased by the
temple has gained Brihadeshwara temple a lot of popularity amongst the locals and
travelers alike.

Q. Why were temples important in the Chola dynasty?

A. The temples in the Chola dynasty held significance amongst the temples acted
as a portrait of the efficiency of the dynasty in architecture and religious beliefs.

Q. Who was the most powerful Chola ruler?

A. Rajaraja was the most powerful ruler of the Chola dynasty.

Q. Which is the best example of Chola Temples?

A. Arulmigu Patteeswarar Swamy Temple is one of the best examples of Chola.

Q. What are the temples built by Cholas?

A. There are three great Chola Temples of the 11th and 12th century, the
Brihadisvara temples of Thanjavur, the Temple of Gangaikondacholisvaram, and the
Airavatesvara temple at Darasuram.

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Uma Agarwal
Good work.
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Uma Agarwal
Good work.
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2y

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