“The Cholas (9th–13th century CE), under great rulers like Rajaraja Chola I and Rajendra Chola I, were not just conquerors; they were also great patrons of art, whose temples and sculptures still stand as a testament to their artistic excellence.”

Achievements of Cholas in Art and architecture 

Temple architecture 

1. Boundary walls: Eg. Airavatesvara temple at Darasuram in Tamil Nadu.
2. Vimana: The vimanas rose above the sanctum sanctorum (garbhagriha) of the temple in the form of a stepped pyramid that rises up linearly rather than curved. Eg- Brihadeshwara temple at Tanjore has highest vimana of any temple.
3. Gopuram: The front wall had a high entrance gateway known as gopuram. Eg. Nageshwarswamy temple in Tamilnadu has one of the highest gopurams.
4. Shikhara: The crowning element is shaped like an octagon and is known as shikhara. Eg. Raja rajeswara temple has largest shikhara stone in the world.
5. Sculptures: The entrance of the garbhagriha had statues of Dwaarpal, Mithun and Yaksha. Eg. UNESCO site of Gangaikonda chola puram temple has  Some of the stone sculptures on the niches – Nataraja, Dakshinamurthy, Harahari, Lingodbhava, Vishnu, Brahma, Mahishasura Mardini, Gnana Saraswathi, Chandes anugraha murti

Painting

1. Medium: Eg. The walls of the Chola temples, such as the Tanjore and Gangaikondacholapuram temples, contain numerous icons of large size with fine execution.
2. Uniqueness: careful attention to facial expressions and hand gestures. eg. The painting of Rajaraja Chola I, listening to his preceptor Karuvur Devar.
3. Themes revolved around deities such as Shiva and Vishnu. 

Bronze sculptures

1. The image of Nataraja (Lord Shiva as the cosmic dancer) – This masterpiece is admired for its balance, grace, and artistic depth.

Achievements of Cholas in literature 

1. Patronage of Literature: advanced Tamil literature, fostering notable poets like Kalladanar, Kambana, and Avvaiyar.
2. Key Works: Kalladanar’s Kalladam celebrated Lord Shiva, while Thiruttakkadevar’s Seevagasinthamani introduced Jainism to Tamil audiences.
3. Sanskrit Influence: Despite the Chola rulers’ support for Sanskrit, original Tamil works thrived, with Kambana notably translating the Ramayana, enriching Tamil literature’s evolution

Bhakti movement under Cholas reign

1. Vaishnavite Alwars and Shaivite Nayanars got patronage under Chola Rulers.
2. In the beginning of 10th century a Nayanara saint Nambi-andar-nambi wrote a song which was named as ‘Tiruktatotar tiruvantati’ which produces a detailed information about the lives of the 63 Nayanara saints.
3. In 11th century Nambi-ander-nambi the court poet of Raja Raj Chola compiled the songs of the Nayanara saint in 11 Tirumurai. Which is considered to be one of the greatest text of Nayanara saints.
4. Tamil veda- Nalayira Divya prabandham composed by alwar poigai during Chola period.

Coinage of Cholas 

1. Standardized and culturally fine tuned coins – Coins minted in fine gold with potrait of king with his insignia or emblems like tiger and fish on one side and portrait of sitted goddess on other side.
2. Rajendra 1 Chola has issued one of most famous coins inscribing ‘ Gangaikonda chola’ after his victory in Bengal, on java and Sumatra islands.

Performing arts under Cholas

1. Classical dances like Bharatnatyam flourished during Chola period because of Devdasi system.
2. Cholas also patronized staff fencing marital art Silambam.
3. Rajaraja I  was instrumental in bringing back tevaram music to temples.
4. The representation of Nataraja or Adal Vallan (king of dance) in the form of the idol was the motif of Tamil music, dance and drama with hymns composed by Nayanmars. eg. Oduvars and Padikam Paduvars: They were appointed to sing in the temples to recite Thirumurai (The Saiva canon). 

Other Achievements of Cholas

1. Administrative Reforms: The Cholas decentralized administration, allowing local leaders and village assemblies (sabhas) to exercise autonomy. This allowed the empire to maintain control over vast territories while fostering strong local governance.
2. Military Conquests: They expanded their influence across the Indian Ocean, launching successful naval expeditions to Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and parts of Southeast Asia (e.g., Srivijaya in present-day Indonesia and Malaysia).
3. Trade and Economic Growth:Ports like Nagapattinam became thriving centers for international trade, with the Cholas exporting textiles, spices, and jewels.

The Chola dynasty may have faded from history, but their contributions to art and architecture endure as a symbol of India’s cultural and artistic zenith continuing to inspire pride and admiration, solidifying their eternal legacy in Indian history.