Chola Bronze Sculpture: Chronology Swami Malai is a town in Tamil Nadu's Thanjavur district, located on the banks of the Kaveri river. During the Chola period , after the construction of Thanjavur Brihadeeswara temple in the 11th century and the Darasuram Airavateswarar temple in the 12th century, a group of artisans called the "sthapatis" settled down in Swami Malai. Who was Sthapatis? Sthapati means "builder or master carpenter." After settling here, the Sthapatis started making the Chola bronze sculptures . Around three hundred families still cast the Chola. Thanjavur is home to bronze statues. Sthapatis uses the lost wax method for making the Chola bronze statue. Many important Chola Bronze Structures were seen during The Chola Period and are still seen now. Many noteworthy Chola bronze structures can be seen throughout the Chola period. The statues of Natraja: The dancing Shiva , Shiva Parvati : Ardhanarishvarar and Somskanda , and Ganesha are well-k