Gangai Konda Chozhapuram - A Pinnacle of Prowess

Since my last post a few people have asked me about Kudavayil Balasubramanian. He is a well known scholar and has numerous, very engaging talks on Youtube (in Tamil) that I recommend people watch. Here are the links to some of his best lectures (3 Chola temples,  Rajaraja & Rajendra). The books I have are the following. Most of the information in this blogpost are from his book "Rajendra Chozhan" (middle of the bottom row below).

The books I have - yet to read the one about the Nayaks

Back to my trip report. Although we did Gangai Konda Chozhapuram (GKC) temple (aka Peruvudayar Temple) on the third day I am writing about it before I write about the Big Temple as I am going backward in time. GKC was built by Rajendran I (1012-1044) the son of Rajaraja I (985-1014) and is perhaps the greatest of the Chozha kings. In the Chola tradition the crown prince always ruled alongside his father for a few years and hence the reigns overlap. He expanded the empire and the temple / water works of his father and is famous for sending his general to bring the waters of the Ganga (specifically Hoogly/Bagirati river) from Tribeni in Bengal in golden pots  to bless his new capital and the temple he built at the same location. GKC is about 40 km from Kumbakkonam and 80 km from Tanjavur. 

Rajendra shifted his capital from Tanjavur to GKC almost overnight. GKC at that time was an unpopulated region so the king built a city from the ground up after having blessed it with the waters of the Ganga. Kudavayil has a detailed overview of this shift as documented in a stone inscription. He states that everyone from all walks of life including traders, sculptors etc all immigrated from Tanajvur to GKC.

Let me start with the pictures of the gopurams and vimanam.

First View

The destroyed second Rajagopuram in the front

As you enter the site you see two pillars (not shown in my pictures) which are the remnants of the first Rajagopuram which seems to have been destroyed by the British Public Works Dept back in 1836. As you go through that you see a partially destroyed second Rajagopuram. There is a photograph in the British Library from the 19th century which shows this Second Rajagopuram with 3 levels before it was damaged to its current state.

View of the Vimanam from the Second Rajagopuram

I loved the Bull in this temple! The big black one in the Big Temple was not built by the Cholas. This one also does not seem to be the original (built by a Zamindar). It is built from many stones and covered in what is called as சுதை (Sudhai) which is lime mortar.

 

 Now for the views of the Vimanam

 Before I go into the sculptures there are two other structures called North Kailayam and South Kailayam. I can't find a picture of the South in my photo roll, but here is the North Kailayam which houses the Goddess known as Brihan Nayaki

North Kailayam - Now the Abode of Brihan Nayaki

There is also a small temple for Durga / Kottravai/ Mahishasuramardhini. I didn't get a picture of the idol as I was not sure if we were allowed to take a picture but she is a sight to behold. Rajendra I got this statue from the Chalukyas and the Goddess has 20 hands. Instead of a Buffalo at her feet to symbolize Mahisha, here he is shown in human form. 

Picture Courtesy: Kudavayil Balasubramian's book "Rajendra Chozhan"

Now let me move onto the sculptures!

According to Kudavayil the move to GKC and the construction of the city and temple necessitated that the sculptures were worked on not just by experts but also by their trainees and novices. While most sculptures show the perfection that one expects from the Middle Chola period, there are some discernible differences in the details and that helps differentiate the expert from the novice. The guardian figures at each entrance show this difference.

Dwara Balaka Figures (Guardian figures similar to Lamassu)

See if you can spot the differences between the R and L figures

I will write a separate note about the guardian figures when I do the post on the Big Temple as I have better pictures. In general the guy on the right points to the direction of God and one can see the story of a snake devouring an elephant at the bottom of the left figure. More on this in the next post.

Gajalakshmi

This sculpture is important for many reasons. For one, above the niche you can see the sculpture of Rajendra I worshipping a Shiva Linga and is probably the only image of the king in the temple. I am attaching a close-up here

In addition this form of Lakshmi, with two elephants with their raised trunks showering flowers, Lakshmi with two lotuses in her two hands while seated on a lotus herself has been in sculptural practice in Tamil Nadu for apparently two thousand years and references to this form are found in ancient Sangam literature like Civaka Cintamani

Bikshadanar (The Lord who Begs)

 One can spend hours analyzing this one. I will ask people to read Kudavayil's book on the backstory as to why Shiva took this form and Vishnu took the form of Mohini to teach the sages and their wives a lesson. What is shown here is how the womenfolk are rushing out to see the handsome beggar and feed him (see the sculptures on the side - the bottom row with 2 women on one side and 3 on the other). The sculptures on the side and bottom are original Chola, but the main sculpture has suffered some damage in the past and has been restored with Sudhai but is still seeing some damage. 

Umai Oru Paagan (Ardhanadheeshwar)

This sculpture shows the differences between the male and female side in terms of the clothes, the poses and the body structures beautifully. While Uma holds flowers, Shiva holds weapons.

Dancing Ganapathy

This is another sculpture that was simply joyous to look at as you see Ganesha dancing to the music made by all the Boothaganam (Bhutas) on the side and bottom. If you can zoom to the top of the niche you can see a circular inscription that is not very clear. It should show the sitting lion + two fish + bow (Chola+ Pandya+ Chera) symbol of Rajendra which is seen in coins from that period.

Alangadu Dancer

Perhaps the most famous sculpture of this temple is the one above which shows Shiva dancing joyfully in Alangaadu (Banyan Forest). The Forest is indicated by the carvings of trees above Shiva's head. He is performing this dance at the request of Karaikal Ammai (seen in the bottom row to the left of the 4 sculptures) who is singing for him. Uma is watching her husband dance from the side while the Sun, the Moon and all the Devas and Rishis have gathered on the side. A gentle smile is seen on Shiva's face and in contrast you can see Durga dancing at the bottom right behind Shiva. Unfortunately the sculpture broke at some point and a stone support has been provided to the raised leg. This is the one sculpture that I saw most people actually look up and enjoy at the temple. Kudavayil provides more detailed analysis of the posture, Shiva's accessories etc. One thing he mentions is that this is the only place where the Banyan tree is portrayed as part of the dancing Shiva sculpture and if you look closely you can see a bag hanging from the tree which holds the sacred ash.

Gangadhar

 

This is one of my favorite sculptures at the temple and I apologize for my very poor picture. I couldn't get another one as it started to rain soon after. The story here should be familiar to most who know the story about how Ganga came to the earth and how Shiva caught her in his locks. While that is seen in the top left corner, the focus of the sculpture is on Uma's jealousy and how Shiva sensuously tries to stop her from leaving him.

Now I am going to do a quick run through of other sculptures

Hari and Haran together in one form

See if you can tell the differences between Hari and Haran based on the clothes and what they hold in their hands.

Vishnu with his consorts

Karthikeya

Shiva bestowing the Chakra to Vishnu - see Vishnu worshipping Shiva on the right side bottom row

Kalakala Moorthy

Kottravai

Brahma with his consorts

Bhairav

Kalaimagal

Here is one final sculpture 

Sandeeshwar being blessed by Shiva

 

Unfortunately it was very crowded here so I couldn't get a proper picture of the side sculptures. The entire left side is cut off but you can see something of the right side sculptures - especially the cows and an old man kicking the milk bucket. The left side sculptures would have shown the old man hiding in a tree in the top row and a boy hitting the old man in the bottom row. The story is described in Periyapuranam and I am providing a wikipedia link here. If you know the story then you can appreciate the sculptures even more. I especially love how the sculpture showcases Shiva crowning Sandeeshwar with the garland.

I am going to wrap up now as this has already become a bit too long. Of all the three temples I saw, this one was my favorite. Maybe it was because I had read more about this one than the other two and could appreciate what I was seeing having known the backstory. Also, unlike Darasuram which was just an abundance of riches, this one was a bit more measured and so you could actually spend time with each one. Rajendra had been involved in the construction of the Big Temple too, so I believe he knew exactly what he wanted when he worked on GKC. While paying tribute to his father he managed to forge his own identity and has truly left a monument that is a testament to his prowess as a supreme ruler. 

Darasuram - Stories in Stone

From the time I read Ponniyin Selvan about 17 years back I have been wanting to go on a tour to Tanjavur and Kumbakkonam and visit some of the magnificent temples built by the Chola kings. While I have been to Tanjavur/ Kumbakkonam many times it was always because of a religious ceremony/ event like when when we had our child's tonsure done for her first birthday etc. This December my brother made it happen for me and we did a 3 day tour of the Big 3 Chola temples, and thanks to my SIL (husband's sister) who sent me many of Kudavayil Balasubramaniam's books on the Cholas I was able to read in advance and prepare myself for the sights. 

We did Darasuram the first day, Periya Kovil (Big Temple) on the second and Gangai Konda Chozhapuram on the third. In addition we made stops at the usual Vaishnavite temples of Uppiliappan, Nachiayar Kovil, Sarangapani etc. We also did a tour of Tiruvaroor for the first time but with only an hour we didn't get a chance to savor the temple. If ever there was a place that seemed steeped in mysticism it was Aroor. I hope to go back especially after reading Kudavayil's book on this temple.

I am going to break the blogpost into 3 as I have many pictures I would like to share and document a bit on each temple and its highlights. This one is going to focus on Darasuram.

Built by Rajaraja II (1146 to 1163 AD), the son of Kulothunga II (1133-1150), Darasuram aka Rajarajeswaram / Airavateeswarar temple was built by this king as a tribute in stone to the works of his teachers Sekkizhar and Ottakkoothar. Steeped in the literature of these amazing poets, the King decided to build a temple similar to his ancestors but depicting scenes from the works of his illustrious teachers. The temple is now recognized as a World Heritage Monument and is a short drive from Kumbakkonam. One can spend all day here if one stopped at every sculpture and analyzed the story behind the carvings. However, I managed to hit only some of the highlights. It would have been amazing to have a good guide who knew both Tamil poetry and the temple well but we couldn't find one. So with only my recollections of Kudavayil's lectures I acted as our guide. Before I write about the sculptures here are a couple of external views of the site.

The East Gopuram (or what remains of it)

The East Gopuram must have had red bricks that seem to have been lost to the ravages of weather and people who didn't realize the importance of the site. But the remaining structure speaks of what would have been a magnificent entrance to the site. You can see the second Gopuram below and it has 3 levels. Kudavayil states that the East Gopuram would have had 7 levels, so you can imagine the east gopuram in all its glory in your mind's eye.

Second Rajagopuram at the entrance

Side View of the Vimanam

Back View of the Vimanam

The main vimanam resembles a chariot and has a number of mandapams, Stone pillars at various mandapams hold the structure together. Surrounding the Vimanam are some of the amazing sculptures in niches. Here are a few.

Shiva as Agoramoorthy with 14 snakes

With 4 heads facing 4 directions and snakes all over this is one of the dances of Shiva and unlike the Anandatandavam (Happy Dance) when he has only 1 snake, this one features 14.

Sarabamoorthy - Shiva as a Lion with 8 legs and wings ending the Narasimha Avatar

There is a small temple for Sarabamoorthy. While not exactly a gryphon, this avatar of Shiva shows him as an eight-legged lion with wings. Following Narasimha's slaying of the asura Hiranya, the anger of Narasimha had not abated and he was wreaking havoc. So it is said that Shiva took the form of Sarabamoorthy and quelled Narasimha to save the world from his anger. If you look closely you can see the Devas in the heaven, and at the bottom the conch and chakra are falling towards the earth indicating that the Saraba is carrying Narasimha to the heavens. Unfortunately the white cloth hides the wings of the Saraba.

Arjuna fighting Shiva the Hunter for a wild boar and gaining Shiva's favor

The story of Arjuna winning the Pashupatastra is told in the form of a narrative sculpture above. You can see Arjuna doing penance in the bottom row; The row above shows Arjuna fighting Shiva as the Hunter; the third row from below depicts Arjuna surrendering and the top row shows Shiva revealing his true identity.

Lingothbhava Moorthy - with Brahma & Vishnu on either side

The above sculpture shows the story of the dispute between Brahma and Vishnu regarding who was the greatest when a Linga appears in front of them. Vishnu seeks the bottom in the form of a boar while Brahma takes the form of a swan and seeks the top. When both fail, they recognize the endless linga to be Shiva and give up their pride. You can see the boar and the swan in the main sculpture with Brahma and Vishnu on either side as mini-sculptures.

Mahishasuramarthini (Kottravai)

Ravana

 

 

Another narrative sculpture of interest is the story of Ravana lifting Mount Kailasa. Reading from the bottom to the top one can see Ravana's chariot parked to the side as he is unable to cross the mountain and is therefore lifting it. One the next level you can see monkeys, deer and other animals and also Indra and other sages. The third level shows Uma holding onto Shiva as the mountain shakes and finally Ravana bowing to Shiva and Uma while Shiva is ready to bestow a sword.

Shiva as Bhairava

AdhiSandiKeshwarar

 

More beautiful black-stone sculptures are seen along the niches of the main Vimanam. I took only a few pictures which I have posted above.

I haven't read Periyapuranam since I left high school many decades ago and I couldn't recollect everything Kudavayil had written about. But I went looking for the series of sculptures where the Saint Appar sings to the birds and beasts (kinda like St.Francis for those familiar with how he is depicted in Western art). I was especially looking for a sculpture showing Appar singing to the bird referred to in Tamil as "Magandril". Most tamilians have heard of the bird called "Andril" which only now I realize is from the Ibis family. The Andril is often used in Tamil poetry to depict faithfulness as it is a monogamous bird. I have not been able to figure out what bird is the "Magandril" - could it be a flamingo? In any case I was having a hard time locating the sculpture when I finally asked the Priest at the temple who kindly led my brother and I to the exact location. Here are those sculptures!

Appar singing to the "Magandril" - the next set of birds are peacocks

Another famous story depicted in almost all Chola temples is Rama killing the monkey Vali thus aiding his brother Sugreeva to ascend the throne. I appreciated how intertwined the legs of the two monkeys are as they wrestle each other.

Rama killing Vali

Another two-part narrative sculpture depicts the story of Shiva destroying Lord Kama (Lord of Love). Read from right to left you can see Shiva meditating and Kama aiming his bow and arrow at him. The next part shows Kama fallen and his wife Rathi begging the Lord's forgiveness.

Shiva reducing Kama to ashes

 

The king was obviously a lover of dance and music as seen by the number of sculptures devoted to music and dance. I don't have a whole lot of pictures as I didn't want to spend all my time looking through my phone. But there was one sculpture of a pregnant woman being assisted by midwives that was quite amazing. So here it is

Pregnant women being assisted

You can see the doctor approaching the pregnant woman with a medicinal bottle of some sort. The temple was not just for depicting stories from scriptures but everyday life too!

One can also spend a lot of time just admiring each entryway and the decoration of the stairs. Elephants are mostly used but you can also see sculptures of lions devouring elephants. Here are a few samples

I am going to stop here as I can go on and on. The place is a treasure trove and if one knew the stories from Periyapuranam, Kandapuranam, Ramayana, Mahabharata, then one can spend a lifetime here savoring each and every stone. I didn't touch upon the paintings from the Nayak period as I don't know much about that time period and I am yet to read about that.

Overall Darasuram was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I am greatly indebted to the historian Kudavayil Balasubramanian for his books and lectures on Tamil heritage sites. Discovering his works has been one of the highlights of 2022 for me. I wish the authorities would do more to protect this temple from vandalism and misuse. For a comparison the gothic cathedrals of France like Saint Denis (1140s?) were built around the same time and Darasuram deserves to stand alongside such famous cathedrals. I wish there were signposts at all the main sculptures informing visitors about what they were seeing. I thought someone with enterprise would sell pamphlets or books about the site near the site. Very little information was available and there was no easy way to hire qualified guides. I wish I had taken my copy of Kudavayil's book with me, but I hope to go again sometime in the future and will check out all the other sculptures I missed.