Gangai konda Cholapuram
A journey of 25 Kms saw us to Gangaikonda Cholapuram- the hallmark of Rajendra Chola I (1012 AD- 1044 AD), son of Raja raja Chola I, and the famed emperor who marched right upto the Ganges, built a capital, and called it 'The city named after 'He who conquered Ganga' to celebrate his victories. It was 2.45 P.M. when we went there- the temple wasn't open for the poojai yet. They say that the Thanjai Periya Koil is masculine in appearance, whereas GKC is feminine- smaller in size, and more delicate in features. (Someone even remarked that the temple was smaller than the Tanjore one because Rajendra Chola didn't want to build a temple that might outshine his father's).
The temple is a huge structure - towering up into the sky. (This temple was also the one we visited in September 2003, with Dr. Kalaikkovan, for some more research. We managed to climb on top of the vimaanam, and had an astounding view for miles around!) The grounds of GKC are beautiful- well maintained, green lawns and clear-cut stone sculptures. The Nataraja sculpture in the left part of the gopuram was particularly beautiful- the features were so precise, lifelike and pleasant. The smile alone would have won a beauty paegant. The Nandi also is a sight to see. Since the garbagriham would be open only by 4PM, we decided to spend time wandering about the lawns, which is what we did. We must have taken a dozen photos over there- especially the Singa-muga enclosure, which led to the temple well. By 4.30, we were ready to start on our way to another landmark in the Ponniyin Selvan magnum opus- the Pazhuvur Temples.
