Gangaikonda Cholapuram

Rajendra Chola I built this around 1035 after an expedition north that reached the Ganges, taking the title Gangaikonda, he who brought the Ganges, and founding a capital here to mark it; the city has disappeared entirely and the temple stands alone in farmland. It is one of the three Great Living Chola Temples inscribed by UNESCO, its vimana about fifty-five metres tall with a concave curve to the profile that distinguishes it from the straighter tower at Thanjavur. The bronze-quality stone sculpture on the outer walls, particularly a panel of Shiva blessing Chandesha, is considered among the finest Chola work.

What you actually see

• The curved vimana - a fifty-five metre tower with a concave profile.
• The wall sculpture - Chola panels including Shiva blessing Chandesha.
• The great Nandi - the monolithic bull facing the sanctum.
• The empty setting - farmland where a capital city once stood.

When to go

October to March; the Tamil plains are severely hot from March to June. Mornings light the sculpture best. The site is quiet compared with Thanjavur.

Honest expectations

Nothing remains of the city, only the temple, which surprises visitors expecting ruins of a capital. There is little shade and interpretation is limited. Photography inside the sanctum is prohibited.

Nearby

Airavatesvara temple lies south; Thanjavur is southwest.