3D print the Brihadisvara Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram

A free, printable model of the Brihadisvara Temple, a stepped tower beside a long hall, with the low walls, roads and buildings around it, generated from real map data in your browser.

Free, in your browser. Exports a slicer-ready 3MF.

A white 3D print of the Brihadisvara Temple, a stepped tower with a long low hall beside it, surrounded by low walls, small buildings and open ground.
Studio render of an exported 3MF: Brihadisvara Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram on a 600 m square of Gangaikonda Cholapuram.

About the Brihadisvara Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram

The Brihadisvara Temple is a Hindu place of worship dedicated to Shiva, at Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Jayankondam, in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Rajendra Chola I completed it in 1035 CE as part of his new capital. Some experts date it to 1020, but inscriptions indicate 1035. It is counted among South India's largest Shiva temples and is an example of Dravidian style.

The main shrine follows a square plan, with its sanctum and halls lined up on an east–west axis, and it opens toward the sunrise. The vimanam (the temple tower) rises 55 m (180 ft), 3 m (9.8 ft) shorter than the one at the Thanjavur temple, about 70 kilometers (43 mi) away. Historians believe the lower height was deliberate, a mark of respect for Rajendra's father's masterpiece. The tower has nine stories, and the lower ones shrink faster than the upper ones, giving it an uncommon parabolic form.

It is known for its bronze sculptures, the art on its walls, its depiction of Nandi and the sheer scale of its tower. A Nandi bull figure sits in the courtyard, facing the sanctum from 200 m (660 ft) away, and the sanctum holds Shiva as a lingam 4 m (13 ft) tall. The temple holds four daily rituals and many festivals each year. In 2004 UNESCO named it a World Heritage Site, together with the Thanjavur and Darasuram temples, known together as the Great Living Chola Temples.

How it prints

Make this print opens the generator on a 600 m square around the landmark. Buildings print at close to true scale, so the landmark grows with the print size.

Landmark height and scale at three print sizes
Print size Landmark height Scale
160 mm default 15 mm 1:3,750
200 mm 18 mm 1:3,000
256 mm 23 mm 1:2,344
  • Brihadisvara Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram model, North view North
  • Brihadisvara Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram model, East view East
  • Brihadisvara Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram model, South view South
  • Brihadisvara Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram model, West view West
Tiered tower with small niches
The tower rises in many small tiers with tiny arched niches. Layers of 0.12–0.16 mm keep the tiers crisp, and a larger print size keeps more of the carved detail.
Domed cap and finial
The top ends in a small domed cap with a thin finial. Print slowly with good cooling, and use Print friendly to adapt it to the print scale.
One piece with the ground
The Brihadisvara Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram is joined to the ground in the exported file, and the four-side check found no floating parts, so nothing needs gluing.
Pick the detail for your nozzle
In the Buildings settings, set Landmark detail to Print friendly to adapt thin parts and small details to the print scale. Full detail keeps every modeled feature, for larger prints or a finer nozzle.
Colors
Buildings, roads, water and ground arrive as separate filament slots in the 3MF. The Brihadisvara Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram takes the building color.
File format
You get a 3MF for Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer or PrusaSlicer. Any of them can save it as STL if you need one.

About this model

The Brihadisvara Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram is one of more than 2,300 landmark models in Mini Skyline. They are made with AI, and each one is checked from four sides in its real surroundings before release. Everything around it is built from OpenStreetMap and Overture map data. If you would rather print the shape from map data, turn off Landmark models in the Buildings settings.

Common questions

Is there a Brihadisvara Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram STL I can download?

Mini Skyline builds the file for you in your browser and exports 3MF, which every major slicer opens. If you need an STL, open the 3MF in your slicer and export it from there.

How big can I print it?

Any print size from 40 mm across. The Brihadisvara Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram grows with the print: about 15 mm tall on the default 160 mm print. For a model larger than your printer bed, Project Mode splits the area into tiles.

Is it free?

Yes. Generation runs in your browser, with no account and nothing behind a paywall.

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