The City of the Ganges-Conquering Chola

Rajendra Chola I (r. 1014-1044) was the son of Rajaraja Chola I, and he surpassed even his father's ambitions. His armies marched north to the banks of the Ganges, defeating the Pala dynasty of Bengal. To commemorate this extraordinary campaign, Rajendra built an entirely new capital and named it Gangaikonda Cholapuram — 'the city of the Chola who conquered the Ganges.' He even brought back Ganges water to fill a massive artificial lake near the city, symbolically transplanting the sacred river to Tamil soil.

The Temple

The Brihadeeswarar Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram (not to be confused with the identically named temple in Thanjavur) was built to rival and refine his father's creation. Its vimana rises 55 metres — slightly shorter than Thanjavur's but with a concave curvature that many consider more elegant. The temple is part of the Great Living Chola Temples UNESCO World Heritage Site (added 2004).

The sculpture here is generally considered superior to Thanjavur's. The Nataraja panel on the northern wall is one of the finest depictions of the dancing Shiva in existence. The Saraswati with her veena, the Chandeswarar receiving Shiva's garland, and the Ardhanariswara (half-male, half-female Shiva) are masterpieces of Chola art.

The Lost Capital

The city that surrounded the temple has entirely vanished. Today, the great temple stands alone amid paddy fields — a monument to imperial ambition in a rural landscape. The 16-kilometre embankment of Rajendra's artificial lake is still visible, and fragments of the palace complex occasionally surface during ploughing.