write a short note on chola bronze statues
Answers
Answer:
There are three great Chola Temples of the 11th and 12th century, the Brihadisvara temples of Thanjavur, the Temple of Gangaikondacholisvaram, and the Airavatesvara temple at Darasuram. It was built during the reign of the Chola emperor Rajaraja and designed by the famous architect Sama Varma between 1003 and 1010 AD.
Chola Bronze statues
The origin of Bronze images lies in the urge to take out the Gods in palanquins from the temples. Since this was not possible with huge stone idols, smaller idols carved in metal were light and easy to be taken around. And came to be known as Utsav murtis or festival idols. Rules of iconography here followed for metal images is just like the stone ones. Then it became a fashion for the rich and famous to donate the bronze idols to the temples.
Additional information :
• The splendid temples at Thanjavur and Gangaikondalcholapuram built by Rajaraja and Rajendra I are architectural marvels of medieval India.
• The temples under the Cholas were the nuclie of the villages, the centre of crafts and were well endowed with land from the king and other rich people.
• The produce of the land helped maintain the people working in the temple such as priest, garland-makers, sweepers, cooks, musicians, dancers, etc.
• The bronze art of sculpture that was born in the Chola temples is considered to be as the finest bronze works in the world
