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Architecture of India||Introduction||Temple Architecture|| Cave Architecture||Rajput Architecture|| Jain Architecture || Indo-Islamic Architecture||Colonial Architecture||Modern Architecture||Sculpture in India||World Heritage Sites|| Indian Sculpture|| Chola Bronzes || CHOLA BRONZESThe
Pallava and Chola dynasties witnessed the flowering of the bronze
casting technique that was extant from the Indus Valley period in
India. The Chola bronzes (850-1275 AD) are unparalleled in their
depiction of facile expression, the suppleness of the human form and
its flowing movements. The famous images of Shiva Nataraja, Parvati,
Kodanda Rama and Navaneeta Krishna have perennially delighted
devotees and aroused their religious fervour. Besides being votive
images, aesthetically, the Chola bronzes mark a phase in the
development of Indian sculpture that is simply magnificent in form
and style. The
distinctive Chola style emerged during the reign of Aditya Chola
(870-906 AD). The
bronzes of this period are characterised by display of supple body
with flowing contours and an oval face. The ||Introduction||Temple Architecture|| Cave Architecture||Rajput Architecture|| Jain Architecture || Indo-Islamic Architecture||Colonial Architecture||Modern Architecture||Sculpture in India||World Heritage Sites|| |
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world-renowned bronze
images of Nataraja, the dancing form of Lord Shiva, appeared for the
first time during the reign of Parantaka I, Aditya Chola's son. The
Chola bronzes after 975 AD are divided into two separate groups: the
Sembiyan Mahadev School and Raja Raja School, each having its own
characteristic but both developing simultaneously. The bronzes of
the Sembiyan School are slender and tall and the figures are adorned
by intricate ornamentation. The Konerirjapuram Temple at Thanjavur
contains several bronzes of this school. The bronzes of the Raja
Raja School are "more masculine and majestic and radiate a
sense of power and strength, both physical and spiritual". The
Vrishvahana bronze image belongs to this school.