GOPS CREATIV :: REDISCOVERING MY LOST PASSIONS
Jan 20
by GOPAN NAIR in Indian architecture & Heritage 28 comments tags: airavat, Airavateshwarar, Airavatesvara, architecture, Chola, Darasuram, Dharasuram, Dravidian, gopan, gopan g nair, gops, gops photography, gops.org, Great, great living chola temples, heritage, hindu, india, Kumbakonam, Living, monument, mural, nayak, painting, period, photography, raja raja cholan, shiva, site, south, Tamilnadu, Tanjore, temple, Temples, Thanjavur, unesco, தாராசுரம்

THE GREAT LIVING CHOLA TEMPLES, PART 3 of 3 : DARASURAM (தாராசுரம்)

The Chola Dynasty, which thrived from 300 BC to 1279 CE in Southern India, were devout followers of Shaivism and ardent supporters of arts, literature, and poetry. The Chola Kings, also known as “சோழர்” in Tamil, held a significant position among the rulers of India. They were renowned for constructing numerous Shiva Temples across the world, many of which still stand today. The collection of three remarkable architectural wonders, known as ‘The Great Living Chola Temples,’ were constructed by the Chola Kings and can still be found in Thanjavur, Gangaikondacholapuram, and Darasuram in Tamil Nadu. These temples stand out for their distinctive Dravidian architecture and exceptional artistic craftsmanship. The Brihadeeswarar temple ( Read about it here ) , also known as the Big Temple or Peruvudaiyar Kovil, situated in Thanjavur, was completed in 1010 AD by Emperor Raja Raja Chola I (985–1014 AD). This magnificent temple, which celebrated its 1000th anniversary in 2010, is among the largest temples in India and has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Monument. Rajendra Chola-I (1012-1044 AD), the son of the renowned Rajaraja-I, expanded the kingdom as far as the Ganga River in the North and earned the title Gangaikondacholan. He was a […]
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Jan 24
by GOPAN NAIR in Indian architecture & Heritage 6 comments tags: bahubali, bangalore, Bhadrabahu, Brahmadeva, cave, chandragiri, chandragupta, Chikkabetta, Doddabetta, gomateshwara, gomateswara, gopan, gopan g nair, gops, gops.org, hill, india, Indragiri, jain, jainism, maurya, monolithic, mysore, photography, pillar, route, SHRAVANABELAGOLA, south, statue, stone, tour, Tyagada, vindyagiri

A TRIP TO SHRAVANABELAGOLA

“THERE IS NO ENEMY OUT OF YOUR SOUL. THE REAL ENEMIES LIVE INSIDE YOURSELF; THEY ARE ANGER, EGO, PRIDE, CURVEDNESS, GREED, ATTACHMENTS AND HATRED” :- Lord Mahavir Bahubali, according to Jainism, is revered as the epitome of a man who overcomes selfishness, jealousy, pride, and anger. The 57-foot monolithic statue of Gomateshvara (Bahubali) at Shravanabelagola holds great significance as a pilgrimage site for Jain followers. Shravanabelagola translates to “White pond of the ascetic” and is situated amidst two hills. The larger hill is known as Indragiri/Vindyagiri (Doddabetta) while the smaller one is called Chandragiri (Chikkabetta). One can observe over two millennia of Jain history at this location. Emperor Chandra Gupta Maurya (340 – 298 BC) chose to live out his last days as a Jain monk at Chandragiri. He had successfully expanded his empire to encompass various regions of the Indian subcontinent, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Balochistan. The Maurya kingdom thrived under the wise counsel of the renowned philosopher Chanakya and also benefited from their alliance with Macedonian king Alexander and his descendants. Chandragupta Maurya, in his later years, made the decision to adopt Jainism under the guidance of his spiritual mentor Bhadrabahu. He then moved to Shravanbelgola in 298 BC […]
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