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Chola-era Nataraja and Sivakami bronzes unearthed in Nagapattinam
ಸುದ್ದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಏಕೆ?
Nagapattinam yields Nataraja and Sivakami: the lost-wax casting method every Chola bronze answer must name
Chola-era Nataraja and Sivakami idols found in Nagapattinam.
Why it matters: asked in UPSC 1995; factual, Prelims-type; Karnataka-specific
What you need to know
2 ನಿಮಿಷ
The Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology unearthed bronze-alloy idols of Nataraja and Sivakami with their pedestals during excavations in Nagapattinam on 30 October 2026.
Chola bronzes are famed worldwide and were made by the lost-wax technique.
ಮೂಲಗಳು: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
ಮುಖ್ಯ ಅಂಶಗಳು
Remember these
- Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology unearthed bronze-alloy Nataraja and Sivakami idols with pedestals in Nagapattinam on 30 October 2026
- Chola bronzes are made by the lost-wax (cire perdue) technique
- The Nataraja depicts Shiva as Lord of the Dance, a signature Chola icon
- Sivakami is the consort of Shiva, usually shown beside Nataraja
- Nagapattinam was a major Chola-era port town on the Coromandel coast
ಪ್ರಿಲಿಮ್ಸ್ · ಮೇನ್ಸ್
How the exam will ask it
ಪ್ರಿಲಿಮ್ಸ್
- Chola bronze icons were cast by the lost-wax (cire perdue) process, in which a wax model is coated in clay and the wax melted out before molten metal is poured in.
- Chola bronzes are generally made of a panchaloha-type bronze alloy and are among the most celebrated metal sculptures of medieval India.
- The Nataraja form of Shiva is a hallmark of South Indian Chola art, and Sivakami is the goddess consort depicted with it.
ಮೇನ್ಸ್
GS1 (Art and Culture; Ancient/medieval India): Chola bronzes show the peak of South Indian metal sculpture, linking temple ritual, patronage and the lost-wax craft. Archaeological finds such as the Nagapattinam idols add evidence on Chola religious life and artistic traditions. Way forward: scientific documentation, proper conservation and provenance records, and curbing illicit antiquities trade while promoting heritage awareness.
PYQ connection
A question UPSC has already asked on this
Bronze icons of Nataraja cast during the Chola period invariably show the deity with:
- eight hands
- six hands
- four hands
- two hands
ಉತ್ತರ ನೋಡಿ
ಉತ್ತರ: C
Why this matters: today's issue is directly connected to a concept UPSC has already tested. Read the story with this question in mind.
Practise this PYQ →Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
ನಾಗಪಟ್ಟಣಂನಲ್ಲಿ ಪತ್ತೆಯಾದಂತಹ ಚೋಳ ಕಾಲದ ನಟರಾಜ ಮುಂತಾದ ಕಂಚಿನ ವಿಗ್ರಹಗಳನ್ನು ಸಂಪ್ರದಾಯವಾಗಿ ಯಾವ ತಂತ್ರದಿಂದ ಎರಕ ಹೊಯ್ಯಲಾಗುತ್ತಿತ್ತು?
- ಮರಳು ಎರಕ
- ಡೈ ಎರಕ
- ಮೇಣದ ಎರಕ (ಸೈರ್ ಪರ್ದ್ಯೂ)
- ರೆಪೌಸೆ ಬಡಿತ
ಉತ್ತರ ನೋಡಿ
ಉತ್ತರ: C — ಚೋಳ ಕಂಚಿನ ಮೂರ್ತಿಗಳನ್ನು ಮೇಣದ ಎರಕ ವಿಧಾನದಿಂದ (ಜೇಡಿಮಣ್ಣು ಲೇಪಿಸಿದ ಮೇಣದ ಮಾದರಿ) ಮಾಡಲಾಗುತ್ತಿತ್ತು.
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