Domlur chola stone art 10th century,bangalore

The Chola dynasty was one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of southern India. In Bangalore the Cholas ruled nearly a century. The heartland of the Cholas was the fertile valley of the

Kaveri River The Kaveri (also known as Cauvery, the anglicized name) is one of the major Indian rivers flowing through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Kaveri river rises at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri range in the Western Ghats, Kodagu dist ...

, but they ruled a significantly larger area at the height of their power, including the present-day Bangalore. During the reign of Rajaraja Chola I—around 1004 AD—the cholas captured Bangalore after defeating the

Gangas The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...

. During their rule, they built many temples in and around Bangalore with the Chokkanathaswamy temple,

Mukthi Natheshwara Temple Mukthi Natheshwara Temple located in Binnamangala, Nelamangala, Karnataka, India, is dedicated to the deity Mukthi Natheshwara (the Hindu god Shiva). It dates back to the Rajaraja Chola Rajaraja I (947 CE – 1014 CE), born Arunmozhi Var ...

, Choleswara temple and the

Someshwara Temple Someshwara Somanatha Temple is situated on the banks of Arabian Sea at the Western Ghats of South India away from Mangalore. The temple is known as Rudrapada Kshetra, and is also a pilgrimage centre for performing Pitrakrayas (last rituals of d ...

being prominent ones. The Chokkanathaswamy temple at Domlur, whose earliest inscriptions date back to the 10th century AD, is the oldest temple in the city. Originally built by Raja Raja Chola I, the temple was later renovated by the Hoysalas and Vijayanagara rulers. The temple's deity was Lord Shiva, but later a Vishnu temple was built for the local residents who were mainly Vaishnavas. The Chola Rule in Karnataka was curtailed with loss of Western Gangavadi in 1117 AD by the Hoysalas, but Eastern Gangavadi (part of Mysore district) was recovered by 1125 AD under Vikrama Chola and Chola territories in Kannada country existed till the rule of Emperor

Kulothunga Chola III Kulothunga III was a Chola emperor who ruled from 1178 to 1218 CE, after succeeding his elder brother Rajadhiraja II. Kulothunga Chola III gained success in war against his traditional foes. He gained victories in war against the Hoysalas, ...

. However Tamil habitation in Karnataka, especially in Mysore district, precedes the Chola period and continued afterwards as well. Hoysala Kings built Someshwara temples throughout their kingdom. The typical Someshwara temple has a lotus pond or a taverekere included. The Someshwara temple at

Madiwala Madiwala is a locality in Bangalore, India. It is close to Koramangala, Bommanahalli, BTM Layout, HSR Layout, Arekere Mico Layout, Bannerghatta Road, Jayanagar, and J. P. Nagar, among other localities. The Bangalore City railway station is ...

was built around 1247 AD. The Someshwara Temple at Halasuru, one of the oldest in the city. While the main deity is

Nandi Nandi may refer to: People * Nandy (surname), Indian surname * Nandi (mother of Shaka) (1760–1827), daughter of Bhebe of the Langeni tribe * Onandi Lowe (born 1974), Jamaican footballer nicknamed Nandi * Nandi Bushell (born 2010), South Afri ...

, other gods like Brahma and Vishnu are also worshiped here. It was later renovated by

Kempegowda Kempe Gowda I, locally venerated as Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda, or commonly known as Kempe Gowda, was a chieftain under the Vijayanagara Empire in early-modern India. He is famous for founding the present-day southern Indian city of Bangalore. E ...

who built the ''Rajagopuram'' and constructed walls around the temple. The 800 year-old

Kaalikaamba Kamatheshwara Temple Kaalikaamba Kamatheshwara Temple is located in Nagarathpet in Bangalore city, Karnataka, India. The city is dedicated to the deities Kaalikaamba and Kamatheshwara (the Hindu god Shiva, and goddess Shakthi or parvathi). The temple is nearly 800 ...

Basavangudi Basavanagudi is a residential and commercial locality in the Indian city of Bangalore. It is located in South Bangalore, along the borders of Jayanagar. The name "Basavanagudi" refers to the Bull Temple, which contains a monolith statue of the ...

is the second largest temple in the city. Apart from religious practices, the temples were utilized for scholarly activities thus providing employment for the people.

List of temples

References

Bibliography

* * * {{Bangalore topics , state=collapsed Hindu temples in Bangalore Tourist attractions in Bangalore Chola architecture Chola temples, Karnataka Chola temples, Karnataka

Chola temples The Great Living Chola Temples is a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation for a group of Chola dynasty era Hindu temples in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Completed between early 11th and the 12th century CE, the monuments include: * Brihadisva ...

Chola temples in Bangalore