Gangaikonda Cholapuram Chidambaram

The ancient town of Gangai Konda Cholapuram in TamilNadu is an hour's drive from Chidambram. It was the capital of the Cholas till their fall in the 13th century. This place is well known for the Gangai konda Cholapuram temple which was built in 11th century, to commemorate Chola King's conquest up to the Gangetic plain. The temple is one of the very ancient temples of Tamil Nadu, built in the Chola style. The temple is lavishly sculpted with beautiful stone sculptures including a dancing Ganesha, a lion headed well and a stunning freeze depicting Rajendra being crowned by Siva and Parvati.
Best Time & Climate

The climate of Gangai konda Cholapuram is tropical with temperature of around 37°C in the summers and around 20°C in the winters. The best time to visit is during winter season.

How to get there

By Air- The nearest airports are Tiruchirapalli (230 km). From Tiruchirapalli, domestic flights can be taken to Chennai which inturn is connected to all the major cities in India and abroad through regular flights.

By Rail - Chidambaram is connected with Tiruchirapalli, Madras, Madurai, Rameswaram, Bangalore and Tirupati.

By Road - Frequent bus services are available to various places in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Pondicherry states from Gangaikondacholapuram. There are non-stop bus services and express bus services to major cities like Chennai.
Must Visit

Gangai Konda Cholapuram Temple
- The temple was built by Rajendra Cholan, son of Raja Raja Cholan who built the Big Temple - Brahedeeswarar Temple - of Thanjavur. It was his desire to hallow a temple similar to the one built by his father and he patterned Gangaikondacholapuram as a replica of the Brihadisvara Temple. Modelled along the lines of the Thanjavur temple, it has a 9 storey vimanam, 185 feet tall, biggest Shiva lingam in South India and breath taking sculpture. The temple of Gangaikondacholapuram is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is facing the east. The entire temple abounds with rich, beautiful and intricately carved Chola style sculptures on the walls as well as on the roof, 42 in number. A dancing Nataraja, Saraswathi in blissful trance, the Lord adorning the head of Chandeswara sitting at His feet, with a string of flowers and a whole lot of them, creation of the highest kind of dedication and devotion, enthralling and enticing the hearts of the perceiver. The temple is 54.86 m high and in arrangement follows its Thanjavur predecessor. It also houses some remarkable bronzes of the Chola age.

Chidambaram - 50 kms from Gangaikondacholapuram, Chidambaram is famous for its Nataraja Temple or The Chidambaram Temple. Covering an area of 40 acres, the temple is situated at the heart of the city. The temple has a gold plated roof, towering over the presiding deity, Akasa Lingam - the Lingam of Space. The Lord is worshipped in different temples as representing the five elements - earth, water, fire, wind and ether. One of the special features of this temple is a splendid bejewelled Nataraja image. The temple complex reflects an assortment of architectural and sculptural styles amalgamated over several centuries.Tourism South India

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