Gangaikonda Cholapuram Palace Temples

The Brihadeeswara Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram was built by the Chola emperor Rajendra I in 1025 CE to commemorate his victory over the kingdoms of Northern India, including the Ganges Valley. He brought waters of the Ganga in pots and poured them into the temple's sacred tank, naming his new capital 'Gangaikonda Cholapuram' — 'the city of the Chola who conquered the Ganges.'

Its vimana is slightly shorter than its twin at Thanjavur but equally magnificent, with subtler, more feminine sculptural forms characteristic of the mature Chola style.