UNESCO world heritage sites of Tamil Nadu

A collection of UNESCO world heritage sites of Tamil Nadu.

1. Indian Culture and Heritage
HUM1023

Digital Assignment 3



The UNESCO World Heritage Sites in
Tamil Nadu




Submitted By,
R Priyanga(16BFT1004)
N Saranya(16BFT1006)

2. A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area which is selected by the United
Nations educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as having
cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance, and is legally protected
by international treaties. The sites are judged important to the collective interests of
humanity.
To be selected, a World Heritage Site must be an already classified
landmark, unique in some respect as a geographically and historically identifiable
place having special cultural or physical significance (such as an ancient ruin or
historical structure, building, city, complex, desert, forest, island, lake, monument,
mountain, or wilderness area). It may signify a remarkable accomplishment of
humanity, and serve as evidence of our intellectual history on the planet.
The sites are intended for practical conservation for posterity, which
otherwise would be subject to risk from human or animal trespassing,
unmonitored/uncontrolled/unrestricted access, or threat from local administrative
negligence. Sites are demarcated by UNESCO as protected zones. The loss of
these countries is maintained by the international World Heritage Program
administered by the UNESCO world heritage committee, composed of 21 states
parties which are elected by their General Assembly.
The UNESCO World Heritage Sites are the world’s most popular places
which are selected by UNESCO in the aim for protecting and preserving those sites
which stands as an remarkable and excellent example of culture and tradition. It
may be buildings, architectural temples, cities, deserts, forests, mountains,
monuments, lakes, etc. Tamil nadu has got a significant recognition from
UNESCO because of its architectural buildings built by the kings in their time
period.

3. In India we have 43 world heritage sites out of which, 4 of these centers are
in Tamil Nadu. Among those four sites, three are in Thanjavur and one in Chennai.
The Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur, the Temple of Gangaikonda
Cholesvaram and the Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram stands as an example of
the best architectural style of the Great Living Cholas and are thus called as
the Chola temples. Temples. Though the Cholas are not there in the world their
temples reveals the power, wealth and the true belief they had on the Lord the
Almighty.

Location of those sites:

1. Airavateshwara Temple near Kumbakonam
2. Brihadeeswarar Temple near Kumbakonam
3. Monuments at Mahabalipuram near Chennai
4. Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple at Jayakondam

Airavateshwara Temple:

Airavateswara Temple referred as the Great Living Chola Temple by
UNESCO and was declared as the UNESCO heritage site in the year 2004 It is
interesting to know about the tales behind the names given to the temples.
Likewise, Airavateswara Temple in Darasuram is named after the elephant
Airavatha. Though it is small when compared to the other shrines under the Great
Living Chola Temples, Airavateswara has some splendid architecture.

4. Airavata is the mythological white elephant of Lord Indra. Once Airavata
was cursed by Sage Durvasa and this curse changed his white colour. So, Elephant
Airavata took a holy bath in the water tank of the temple. He gained his white
colour back and worshipped Lord Shiva. It is from then on the temple was named
as Airavateswara Temple. The presiding God Shiva is worshipped as Lord
Airavateswarar. Another legend says, once Lord Yama was cursed by a sage and
his skin started to burn. In order to wash off the curse, he is said to have taken a
holy dip in the water tank here. His curse washed away and from then it got
thename as Yamatheertham.

Architectural Elegance of Airvateswara Temple The design and stucture of
Airavateswara is awe-inspiring. The intricate sculptures carved at every nook and
corner of this temple looks elegant and luxurious. Airavateswara Temple also has a
lot similarities with the other two temples, Brihadeshwara Temple and the
Gangaikondacholiswaram Temple.

5. Airavateshwara Temple was built by Rajaraja Chola II in the 12th Century.
It is also the UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has a tall temple tower (Vimana),
Mandapam (hall) and sanctum. A speciality of this temple is the Front Mandapam
(hall); it is built like a chariot pulled by the horses in front. The temple complex
comprises of various shrines, the main sanctum for Lord Shiva and a separate
shrine for Periya Nayaki Amman (the consort of the presiding deity). Several
renovations and additions have also been made in the later years of Chola rule.

The detailing of each figures and the design of Airavateswara Temple shows
the talent of the artisans of the period. The temple follows the Saiva or Shaiva
tradition and has many mythological stories etched on the walls of this great
architecture.

Airavateswara Temple was included under the Great Living Chola Temples in
2004. Definitely, these structures of ancient India shows the richness of our land
and a great deal of love towards art and architecture.

Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple:
Brihadeeswarar Temple, also known as Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple,
dedicates itself to Lord Shiva. The temple is considered as one of the largest
temples in the country and is a fine example of the grandeur of Dravidian style of
architecture of the Chola dynasty. The temple was built by Rajendra Chola I and
was completed in the year 1035 AD. At present the temple stands tall amongst
ruining walls. The temple tower here measures 55 m in height and holds a striking
similarity to the Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur; an interesting story ensues
behind how this temple resembles the one at Thanjavur.

6. According to one, Rajendra Chola I built this temple to mark his victory
over the Ganges region and the Pala dynasty; another says Rajendra Chola I
wanted to portray himself to be greater than his father Raja Raja Chola I, who built
the big temple at Thanjavur. He built another temple with the same name and style,
however, left it halfway and came to an agreement that his father's temple was
bigger than his. The temple is said to have been constructed in the year 1035 AD;
however, some experts says that it was built in 1020 but inscriptions indicate it was
in 1035 AD.

The Architecture:

The temple is constructed on an elevated structure along with a courtyard
which measures 170 m in height and 98 m in width. The main section of the
structure measures 341 ft in height and 100 ft in width with an east-west axis. Like
in all other temples, Shiva is represented in the form of a lingam which is 13 ft tall.
The Thanjavur temple has a straight outline, whereas, here it is a concave one and
is divided into eight zones. Experts say that this feature was done intentionally to
make it smaller than the Thanjavur shrine which was built by Raja Raja Chola I,
who was the father of Rajendra Chola I, keeping in mind the father-son hereditary
aspect; and is also considered as the female equivalent of the Big Temple.

7. The lingam here is considered as the largest one to be found at any temple.
The idol of Nandi is sculpted in such a way that it reflects the sunlight to the
sanctum. The Nandi is sculpted in stucco and fallen stones, a stone known as
Chandrakanta is said to have been laid in the sanctum, which helps the area remain
cool during summers and warms the area up during the winter season.

Brihadeshwara Temple:

Brihadeshwara is the title referring Lord Shiva enshrined in the Tanjore Big
Temple built by Raja Raja Chola I and consecrated more than a thousand years
back in 1010 AD. Considered a marvel and a miracle in the history of temple
construction, the temple houses a huge Shivaling in its sanctum justifying the name
Brihadeeshwara. (The all pervasive Lord).



Brihadeeshwara temple features a stunning architecture demonstrating the
excellence achieved by the Cholas in temple construction, sculpture, fresco
painting and metallurgy. The temple has ably survived the extremities of weather,
six major earthquakes and a major fire accident. In recognition of its incredible
architecture, UNESCO has declared the temple as a World Heritage Monument.
The whole of the temple is constructed from granite stones. History says
there is no granite quarry for about 50 kilometers around the temple and therefore

8. the massive sized stones employed in the temple construction should have been
brought from far off places. Especially even expert architects marvel at how the
octagonal shaped cap stone weighing about 81 tons was lifted and placed on top of
the hollow Shikara measuring 216 feet (66 metres).

Temple History:
The Chola King Arulmozhivarman, praised as Rajaraja Chola I was a great
conqueror who ruled over the entirety of South India, Ceylon, Malaya and the
Maldives Islands. Laying the foundation for the temple following the orders
received in his dream and accomplishing it around 1010 AD, he named the temple
Rajarajeshwaram. He arranged to celebrate all major festivals in the temple and
made it a centre of all economic and religious activities. Later the Marathas and
Nayakas who invaded Tanjore named the monument as Brihadeshwara temple.
This temple is several times bigger than any other temple built during its
time in history. The 216 feet Vimana is a notable one among the tallest manmade
shikaras of the world. Due to its massiveness, the shikara is also called as Dakshina
Meru ( the Meru mountain of the South).

Stunning Architecture:
This vimana rising over the sanctum sanctorum is a hollow structure
achieved by interlocking stones and no binding materials whatsoever was used in
the process. The huge bull statue (Nandi) measures about 16 feet long and 13 feet
height and is carved out of a single rock. The Shiv Ling at the sanctum measures
3.7 meters tall.

9. The patron of the temple RajaRaja Chola has also arranged to make very
large number of inscriptions in a highly detailed manner that has no precedence in
the history of any other temple in the world. These inscriptions divulge some
crucial information and secrets regarding temple construction and its different
features.
The daily rituals to be conducted in the temple, the details of offerings and
decorations to be made with a specific description of all the jewels donated to the
temple, the methods of special worship on important days and several other crucial
information regarding the administration of the temple. History says the 107
paragraphs inscribed were personally dictated by the king being seated in the royal
bathing hall at the eastern side of the palace.
While none of the massive palaces built during the history of Cholas
survives today, the fact that Brihadeshwara temple has managed to stand the test of
time for more than a thousand years proves the superior accomplishment of Chola
architecture and the patron’s incomparable devotion for Shiva.

Mahabalipuram:
Mahabalipuram was the earlier name of Mamallapuram because the demon
king Mahabali was killed by Lord Vishnu. The name was changed later by the
king of Pallava Narashima Varman who has got the title of Mamalla; the great
wrestler.
Mahabalipuram lies on the Coromandel Coast which faces the Bay of
Bengal. This is an elegant place to watch which a well established sea port was
during the 7th and 10th centuries of the Pallava dynasty. This was the second
capital of the Pallavas who ruled Kanchipuram. Formerly, mahabalipuram was
known and called as Mahabalipuram. The former name of this place
‘Mahabalipuram’ has a history. A very rude cruel king Mahabali reined this place
and in a fierce battle king Mahabali was killed by Lord Vishnu and the place was
named after the dead, arrogant kind Mahabali.
It was during the reign of King Narasimha Varman I, the name
Mahabalipuram was changed. It was renamed mahabalipuram which is called till
now. There is a story behind. The name Mamallpuram king Narasimha Varman I
was a great and valiant warrior. He was given the title Mamalla which means ‘the
great wrestler’ so the name was converted from Mahabalipuram to
mahabalipuram considering the great king and his achievements.

10. After the decline of the Gupta Dynasty, the pallavas rose to the pioneer in
south India. They ruled over from the 3rd century till the end of the 9th century
A.D. The best period of their rule was between 650 and 750 AD and this period
was called the Golden Age of the pallavas. The pallavas were very powerful.
They were profound thinkers.
It was during the rule of the pallavas, great poets, dramatists, artists,
artisans, scholars and saints emerged. As one can say that the pallavas are the
pioneers and forerunners of new styles both in art and architecture and
mahabalipuram is the best place to praise off their skill and talent. New sculptures
and unique paintings were innovative and exuberant. This place mahabalipuram
itself became their exploring field and they made the best use of the resources.
They game a shape and creative energy to what they imagined. It became a dream
come true as it witnessed innovations in all styles.

11. The richness in mahabalipuram was not known to many, as these pallavas
did not outlet and expose their quality and innovative creations to the outer world
for obvious reasons. The aestheticism in mahabalipuram was hidden until the late
185h century. What is special about mahabalipuram? Of course every one can
point out the rock - cut caves, temples made from a single rock, temples and
strives of different structures, and bas-reliefs which are so artistic and sheer
creativity. Mamallpuram is referred as an ‘open-air museum’. The great pallava
kings Narasimha I and Rajasimha have well preserved these stylistic qualities that
one enjoys in mahabalipuram even in the present day.
The beauty of the place is not only due to these architecture but the vast
casuarinas trees, the silvery sandy beach the classical hand male crafts around
have made them all to form what is a collective splendor. Any visitor who visits
mahabalipuram will remain startled and intoxicated with the grandeur. They feel
hand hearted and more out from this historical and fascinating tourist spot.

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_Heritage_Sites_in_India
http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/IN
http://natureconservation.in/list-of-unesco-world-heritage-sites-in-india-updated/
http://www.walkthroughindia.com/offbeat/7-world-heritage-temple-monuments-
tamil-nadu/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airavatesvara_Temple
http://www.transindiatravels.com/tamil-nadu/thanjavur/airavatesvara-temple/
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brihadeshwara_Temple

12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brihadisvara_Temple,_Gangaikonda_Cholapuram
http://www.indianmirror.com/temples/gangaikonda-cholapuram.html
http://www.kumbakonam.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=
90&Itemid=184
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/249
https://www.trawell.in/tamilnadu/mahabalipuram