New Social and Ritual Configurations in Southern India

Chola resources and patronage lead to the emergence of influential new religious and architectural modes, exemplified in massive temple projects such as the Brihadishvara and Rajarajeshwara Temples in Thanjavur and the Gangaikondacholeshwara Temple in Gangaikondacholapuram, both in present-day Tamil Nadu. The latter also features sculptures from Kalinga and Chalukya temples, taken by the Cholas as spoils of war during conflicts with the Western Ganga and Western Chalukya dynasties in the early eleventh century.

Chola emperors seek to establish themselves as descendants of the Early Cholas, a dynasty from the Sangam period, drawing on the prestige of an imagined ‘classical’ period in Tamil literature. The Chola dynasty also commissions large numbers of bronze sculptures for temple rituals and processions. These rituals involve the canonisation of the bhakti saints of earlier centuries, as well as an expanded role for Agamic temple worship. Stylistically, Chola bronzes follow regional traditions, with a highly refined sense of movement and elegant, stylised figures.