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THE BRAHMĀ IMAGE OF CHOLA PERIOD FROM LALBHAI DALPATBHAI MUSEUM
INDUBALA NAHAKPAM
The Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Museum of the L. D. Institute of Indology is the Museum of Art and Archaeology in Ahmedabad. Ever since its inception in 1956 the Institute has been collecting and preserving the rare artifacts, antiques, manuscripts of various kinds and one of the leading Indological Research Institute in India. Consequently, to house separately and the need of addition to its collection a new building was constructed named as L. D. Museum and opened to the public in 1984, having different Galleries starting from Sculpture (stone/ bronze), Manuscripts, Miniature painting, Scrolls, Nepalese and Tibetian Art and as well as Numismatics that are treasured in the Museum. THE CHOĻAS
The Cholas were the greatest rulers in the South among the Dravidians dynasties. The middle of the 8th century show the deadly struggle for supremacy between the mighty Pallavas and the powerful Pandyas, in which no small part was played by the local chieftains. With the gradual decline of these two powers towards the middle of the 9th century A. D., the Cholas, rose to power under the leadership of Vijayalaya who laid the foundations of an empire which lasted well over four centuries from around 850 - 1270 A. D. They ruled the land with glory for a long and unbroken period of around 430 years. They have built hundreds of temples all over the land of South India and annexed their territory. They established their power and claimed as greatest rulers of that period, but their Art continued to be always in a state of dynamic development throughout their era. Their unique stylistic features in temples, music, drama received a tremendous encouragement and patronage with the highest level of progress make their appearance in almost every king's reign.
