Sembiyan Mahadevi, a 10th-century Chola queen, reshaped Hinduism through temple patronage and art. Her vision turned Nataraja into the most iconic symbol of Shiva.

The Cholas were a powerful south Indian dynasty known for military conquests, grand temples and shaping global trade and culture.

the Chola empire was actually made by its queens. There’s this truly extraordinary woman in the late 10th century called Sembiyan Mahadevi and she picks up the icon of the god Nataraja ...

And in the late 10th century, you begin to see this change in a very concerted fashion because of this remarkable Chola queen called Sembian Mahadevi, who is a devotee of Nataraja and builds a ...

A dynasty that introduced the sengol — a sceptre symbolising power that was recently in the spotlight — established international trade relations with Sri Lanka ...

Sembiyan Mahadevi, a 10th-century Chola queen, reshaped Hinduism through temple patronage and art. Her vision turned Nataraja into the most iconic symbol of Shiva.

But to the medieval Indian mind, Nataraja was really a symbol of the Cholas. The emperor, Rajaraja Chola, shared his great-aunt's taste for public relations and devotion - with one significant ...

The Brihadishvara temple, built in the 11th Century by King Rajaraja Chola, is a Unesco World Heritage site [Getty Images] ...