WAiravatesvara Temple is a Hindu temple of Dravidian architecture located in Kumbakonam, Thanjavur District in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This temple, built by Rajaraja Chola II in the 12th century CE is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur, the Gangaikondacholisvaram Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram that are referred to as the Great Living Chola Temples.
WThe Akshayapureeswarar Temple at Vilankulam in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and an art of the work achieved by Cholas in Tamil architecture Built in 1335 AD to 1365 AD by Parakrama Pandyan in Vilankulam, it turned 700 years old.
WArunachalesvara Temple, is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located at the base of Arunachala hill in the town of Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu, India. It is significant to the Hindu sect of Shaivism as one of the temples associated with the five elements, the Pancha Bhoota Stalas, and specifically the element of fire, or Agni.
WLord Atthi Varadar Perumal is a form of Vishnu and the original deity or the moolavar of the Varadharaja Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram city near Chennai in Tamil Nadu. The deity is named Atthi Varadar as the idol is made of the Atthi or the fig tree. The Atthi Varadar idol is stored in an underground chamber inside the temple tank which is called the Anantha Sarovaram/ Anantha Saras. This idol is brought out to worship for 48 days after every 40 years.
WThe Brihadisvara Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva in Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Jayankondam, in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Completed in 1035 AD by Rajendra Chola I as a part of his new capital, this Chola dynasty era temple is similar in design, and has a similar name, as the older 11th century, Brihadeeswarar Temple about 70 kilometres (43 mi) to the southwest in Thanjavur. The Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple is smaller yet more refined than the Thanjavur Temple. Both are among the largest Shiva temples in South India and examples of Tamilan style temples. The temple is also referred to in texts as Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple or Gangaikondacholeeswaram Temple
WBrihadishvara Temple locally known as Thanjai Periya Kovil, and also called as, Rajarajeswaram, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in South bank of Cauvery river in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the largest hindu temples and an exemplary example of a fully realized Tamil architecture. It is called as Dakshina Meru. Built by Tamil king Raja Raja Chola I between 1003 and 1010 AD, the temple is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Great Living Chola Temples", along with the Chola dynasty era Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple and Airavatesvara temple that are about 70 kilometres (43 mi) and 40 kilometres (25 mi) to its northeast respectively.
WThe period of the imperial Cholas in South India was an age of continuous improvement and refinement of Chola art and architecture. They utilised the wealth earned through their extensive conquests in building long-lasting stone temples and exquisite bronze sculptures, in an almost exclusively Hindu cultural setting.
WEkambareswarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located in the town of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu, India. It is significant to the Hindu sect of Saivism as one of the temples associated with the five elements, the Pancha Bhoota Stalas, and specifically the element of earth, or Prithvi. Shiva is worshiped as Ekambareswarar or Ekambaranathar, and is represented by the lingam, with his idol referred to as Prithvi lingam. His consort Parvati is depicted as Elavarkuzhali. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam. The temple also houses Nilathingal Thundam Perumal temple, a Divyadesam, the 108 temples revered in the Vaishnava canon Nalayira Divya Prabhandam.
WErumbeeswarar Temple in Thiruverumbur, Tamil Nadu, India, is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva. Built on a 60-foot (18 m) tall hill, it is accessible via a flight of steps. The temple's main shrines and its two prakarams are on top of the hill, while a hall and the temple tank are located at the foothills. Shiva is believed to have transformed himself into an ant hill and tilted his head at this place to enable ants to climb up and worship him. Erumbeeswarar is revered in the canonical 7th-century Tamil Saiva work the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as nayanmars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam.
WGingee Fort or Senji Fort in Tamil Nadu, India is one of the surviving forts in Tamil Nadu, India. It lies in Villupuram District, 160 kilometres (99 mi) from the state capital, Chennai, and is close to the Union Territory of Puducherry. The site is so fortified that Chhatrapati Shivaji, the Maratha king, ranked it as the "most impregnable fortress in India", and it was called the "Troy of the East" by the British. The nearest town with a railway station is Tindivanam and the nearest airport is Chennai (Madras), located 150 kilometres (93 mi) away.
WThe Great Living Chola Temples is a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation for a group of Chola dynasty era Hindu temples in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Completed between early 11th and the 12th century CE, the monuments include:Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur Brihadisvara Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram.
WJambukeswarar Temple, Thiruvanaikaval is a famous Shiva temple in Tiruchirapalli (Trichy) district, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Though it is that Kocengannan, one of the Early Cholas, have built this temple. It is located in the Srirangam island, which has the famous Ranganathaswamy temple.
WKallanai is an ancient dam. It is built across the Kaveri river flowing from Tiruchirapalli District to Thanjavur district. The dam located in Thanjavur district Located at a distance of 15 km from Tiruchirapalli, 45 km from Tanjavur, the dam was originally constructed during the reign of Chola king Karikalan in c. 100 BC – c. 100 AD. It is the fourth oldest water diversion or water-regulator structures in the world and the oldest in India that is still in use. Because of its spectacular architecture, it is one of the prime tourist spots in Tamil Nadu.░
WKolaramma is the presiding deity of the town of Kolar in Karnataka. The Kolaramma temple is thousand years old and built by the Cholas in the South Indian style. Goddess Parvathi is worshipped as Kolaramma by the people of Kolar. The erstwhile maharajas of Mysore frequently visited this temple to get the blessings of Kolaramma. The temple itself has beautifully carved statues and designs all done using the abundantly available granite stones.
WKoneswaram temple of Trincomalee or Thirukonamalai Konesar Temple – The Temple of the Thousand Pillars and Dakshina-Then Kailasam is a classical-medieval Hindu temple complex in Trincomalee, a Hindu religious pilgrimage centre in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. The most sacred of the Pancha Ishwarams of Sri Lanka, it was built significantly during the reign of the early Cholas and the Five Dravidians of the Early Pandyan Kingdom on top of Konesar Malai, a promontory overlooking Trincomalee District, Gokarna bay and the Indian Ocean. Its Pallava, Chola, Pandyan and Jaffna design reflect a continual Tamil Saivite influence in the Vannimai region from the classical period. The monument contains its main shrine to Shiva in the form Kona-Eiswara, shortened to Konesar. Connected at the mouth of the Mahavilli Ganga River to the footprint of Shiva at Sivan Oli Padam Malai at the river's source, the temple symbolically crowns the flow of the Ganges River from Shiva's head of Mount Kailash to his feet.
WThe Chola dynasty was one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of southern India. In Bangalore the Cholas ruled nearly a century. The heartland of the Cholas was the fertile valley of the Kaveri River, but they ruled a significantly larger area at the height of their power, including the present-day Bangalore. During the reign of Rajaraja Chola I—around 1004 AD—the cholas captured Bangalore after defeating the Gangas. During their rule, they built many temples in and around Bangalore with the Chokkanathaswamy temple, Mukthi Natheshwara Temple, Choleswara temple and the Someshwara Temple being prominent ones. The Chokkanathaswamy temple at Domlur, whose earliest inscriptions date back to the 10th century AD, is the oldest temple in the city. Originally built by Raja Raja Chola I, the temple was later renovated by the Hoysalas and Vijayanagara rulers. The temple's deity was Lord Shiva, but later a Vishnu temple was built for the local residents who were mainly Vaishnavas.
WThe Choleswarar temples were in constructed by the honorable Chola kings, who were Believers of the True God Siva (Shiva).
WMaviddapuram Kandaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple in Maviddapuram in northern Sri Lanka.
WMela Kadambur Amirthakadeswarar Temple is a Hindu temple located at Melakadambur in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, India. The historical name of the place is Tirukadambur. The presiding deity is Shiva. He is called as Amirtha Kadeswarar. His consort is known as Vidyujothi Nayaki. The temple has beautiful sculptures and the vimana is in the form of a chariot. It was built by emperor Kulottunga Chola I.
WThe Murugan Temple at Saluvankuppam, Tamil Nadu, is a shrine dedicated to Tamil deity Murugan. Archaeologists believe that the shrine, unearthed in 2005, consists of two layers: a brick temple constructed during the Sangam period and a granite Pallava temple dating from the 8th century AD and constructed on top of the brick shrine making it the oldest temple in india. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) team which conducted the excavation believe that brick temple could be the oldest of its kind to be discovered in Tamil Nadu.
WThillai Nataraja Temple, also referred as the Chidambaram Nataraja temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Nataraja is one of the form of Lord Shiva as the lord of dance. This temple is located in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India. This temple has ancient roots and a Shiva shrine existed at the site when the town was known as Thillai. Chidambaram, the name of the city and the temple literally means "atmosphere of wisdom" or "clothed in thought", the temple architecture symbolizes the connection between the arts and spirituality, creative activity and the divine. The temple wall carvings display all the 108 karanas from the Natya Shastra by Bharata Muni, and these postures form a foundation of Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance.
WPasupatheeswarar Temple, Avoor or Avoor Pasupatheeswaram is a Hindu temple dedicated to Hindu god Shiva, located in the village Avoor, located 12 km south of South Indian town, Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu. The temple is one of the 70 madakoil built by 2nd century Chola king, Kochengat Chola. The temple is known for the Panchabairavar, the five images of Bhairavar. The temple is revered in the verses of Tevaram, the 7th century Tamil Saiva canon by Tirugnana Sambandar.
WPerur Pateeswarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located at Perur, in western part of Coimbatore in state of Tamil Nadu in India. The temple was built by Karikala chola in 2nd Century. The temple is located on the bank of the Noyyal River and has been patronized by poets like Arunagirinathar and Kachiappa Munivar. Lord Shiva, known as ‘Patteeswarar’, is the presiding deity of this temple together with his consort Parvati, who is known as ‘Pachainayaki’. The deity is believed to be ‘Swayambu Lingam’. The pillars raised in this temple depict the architectural prowess of the Tamil sculptors.
WSriVidhya Rajagopalaswamy temple is a Vaishnavite shrine located in the town of Mannargudi, Tamil Nadu, India. The presiding deity is Rajagopalaswamy, a form of Lord Krishna. The temple is spread over an area of 23 acres (93,000 m2) and is one of the important Vaishnavite shrines in India. The temple is called Dakshina Dwarka along with Guruvayoor by Hindus.
WSrikalahasti Temple is located in the town of Srikalahasti, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is one of the most famous Shiva temples in South India, and is said to be the site where Kannappa was ready to offer both his eyes to cover blood flowing from the Siva linga before the Siva stopped him and granted him moksha.
WThiruvalangadu is a village in Tamil Nadu, India.
WThukkachi Abatsahayesvar temple is a Shiva temple in Thukkachi village near Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu, India.
WThyagaraja Temple is a Shiva temple, located in the town of Thiruvarur in Tamil Nadu, India. Shiva is worshiped as Puttridankondar, and is represented by the lingam. Daily poojas are offered to his idol referred to as Maragatha lingam. The main idol of worship is Lord Veedhi Vidangar (Thiyagarajar), depicted as a Somaskanda form .His consort Parvathi is depicted as Kondi. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written in Tamil by saint poets known as the nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam.
WTirumalai (lit. "the holy mountain"; also later Arhasugiri, lit. "the excellent mountain of the Arha[t]"; Tamil Engunavirai-Tirumalai, lit. "the holy mountain of the Arhar" is a Jain temple and cave complex dating from at least the 9th century that is located northwest of Polur in Tamil Nadu, southeast India. The complex includes 3 Jain caves, 2 Jain temples and a 16.25-foot-high sculpture of Tirthankara Neminatha thought to date from the 12th century that is the tallest Jain image in Tamil Nadu. Arahanthgiri Jain Math is also present near Tirumalai complex.
WThe Upper Anaicut, also known as Mukkombu is a dam built on the Kaveri River in the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India. The regulator dam was constructed between 1836 and 1838 by Sir Arthur Cotton, a British irrigation engineer who was inspired by the architectural beauty of Grand Anaicut canal built by Karikala Chola in Kallanai of Thanjavur district in the second century.
WVaitheeswaran Kovil is a Hindu temple dedicated to the Shiva, located in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Shiva is worshipped as Vaidyanathar or Vaitheeswaran meaning the "God of healing" and it is believed that prayers to Vaitheeswaran can cure diseases. Vaitheeswaran is a Tamil derivative from vaidya (Doctor) and Ishvara (God/Master). The presiding deity is Sri vaidyanathan, facing towards West whereas East side is the common one. He is the God of Healing. When pronouncing in Tamil, it sounds like "vaideeswaran". It is one of the nine Navagraha temples and is associated with the planet Mars (Angaraka).
WVaradharaja Perumal Temple or Hastagiri or Attiyuran is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu located in the holy city of Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the Divya Desams, the 108 temples of Vishnu believed to have been visited by the 12 poet saints, or Alwars. It is located in a suburb of Kanchipuram known as the Vishnu Kanchi that is a home for many famous Vishnu temples. One of the greatest Hindu scholars of Vaishnava Vishishtadvaita philosophy, Ramanuja is believed to have resided in this temple. The temple along with Ekambareswarar Temple and Kamakshi Amman Temple in Kanchipuram is popularly known as Mumurtivasam, while Srirangam is referred to as: 'Koil' and Tirupati as: 'Malai'. Among the Divya Desams, Kanchipuram Varadaraja Perumal temple is known as: 'Perumal Koil'. This is one of the most sacred places for Vaishnavites. The fourth of the Divya Desams that completes this series is Melukote—which is known as Thirunarayanapuram. Vaishnavites believe that visiting all four places without a break will guarantee one a place in paramapadam.
WVijayalaya Choleeswaram in Narthamalai, a panchayat town in Pudukottai district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Constructed in the Dravida style and rock cut architecture, the temple is believed to have been built during the 9th century by Muttaraiyar kings, the cardinals of Pallavas, with later expansion from the Cholas. The rock-cut architecture is an early example of Cholan Art, continuing the tradition of the Pallavas. The other portions of Narthamalai houses the 8th century Jaina Abode, the Aluruttimalai Jain Caves. There are also two rock-cut caves, one of which houses twelve life size sculptures of Vishnu. The temple is considered one of the oldest stone temples in South India.
WYoga Nandeeshwara Temple is a Hindu temple in Nandi Hills or Nandidurg, Chikkaballapur district, Karnataka, is a dedicated to the Lord Shiva. Dates back to the Chola's Period.