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Temples in Chennai are integral and fascinating part of the history, culture and
tradition of the country. Chennai is a city of temples, since it is surrounded
by several Hindu Temples. Your trip to Chennai will never be complete unless you
plan your tour to these temples. Chennai, formerly known as Madras, is the capital
of the state of Tamil Nadu and is India's fourth largest metropolitan city. It
is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. This 368-year-old city
has an estimated population of 6.91 million.
The temples of Chennai reflect the splendor of culture, religion and architecture
of Tamil state. The architecture of the ancient temples upholds the country's
ancient, rich and splendid culture. These temples some of which are 1700 years
old, exhibit intricate carving and sculptures bearing testimony to the craftsmanship
and creativity of the artisans, sculptors and artists of ancient India.
The Chola and Pallava art and architecture rules the horizon of the entire state.
The Chola kings of the 9th c AD built temples of imposing height in granite.
The sanctum sanctorum where the deities were placed in corner as prescribed
in the ritual treatises, were specially built with rich embellishments in valuable
substance.
It was Rajaraja Chola who constructed the most impressive of the south Indian
temples – it is 85 meters in height and a marvel of symmetry and structural
design. 5 meters high dwarapalas or guardians stand at the entrance. Since the
16th c AD, the gopurams or the entrance towers under the Vijayanagar King Krishna
Devaraya started to rise to greater heights as much as 60 meters. They came
to be known as rayagopuras or royal towers after his name. The bases of these
towers were built of stone and the entire superstructure was of brick and mortar,
painted and studded with hundreds of stucco figures.
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