Gangaikondacholapuram, which has got to be one of the best names ever, was a Chola capital in the 11th c. The Brihadeshwara Temple from that time follows the model of the earlier temple in Thanjavur, as well as it’s massive scale. The monumentality of these two temples is difficult to capture in photos, and even on site it takes a few minutes to grasp the scale of the shikhar especially and the structure in general. Much of the mandapa has been restored, and there is indication that the mandapa would have been double it’s current height, making the original structure all the more massive.

For an introduction to my Tamil Nadu Temple Run trip, visit the first (Chidambaram) post.
The photos in this post also available on flickr.