Abstract: During the period of 800-1200 A.D., South India became the centre of political activity. In the beginning of the ninth century, the Pallavas who were a great force were on the decline. The Chalukyas of Badami were by now overthrown by the Rashtrakutas. The latter were engaged in several wars and alliances with northern and southern kingdoms. Temple development in southern India started during the Chalukya rule in the early 7th century. These temples were inspired from the Buddhist architecture. The Cholas who were the feudatories of the Pallavas began to assert their power and were able to replace the Pallavas. The emergence of the imperial Cholas marked the beginning of a new stage in south Indian history. Under their domination, art and culture reached new heights whose influence was felt even in the countries of South-East Asia. Temple architecture in South India reached its pinnacles under the rule of imperial Cholas (850 - 1250). Early Chola temples however, are not as large as the ambitiously planned Pallava Kailashnatha or the Vaikunthaperumal temples at Kanchipuram. Development in early Chola architecture consists, instead, in perfecting the unique elements of the Dravidian style and combining them harmoniously with new forms in astonishingly diverse ways. The Chola king Rajarajesvara built one of the finest Dravidian style temple namely Briahadisvara appears to have been an entirely new foundation, a royal monument of power. The components of this temple are peculiar in its architectural style and one of its kind. The Cholas greatly made use of art to proclaim their power, used temples to make unequivocal statements about their political hegemony.
Keywords: Temple, Architecture, History, Chola Dynasty, Dravid, Brihadisvara.
Title: Analysis of Architectural form and elements of a Dravidian Style Temple in Chola Dynasty during Medieval Period of Southern India
Author: Anand Kapadia
International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovations
ISSN 2348-1218 (print), ISSN 2348-1226 (online)
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