Chola temples often became the nuclei of settlements that grew around them. These were centres of craft production. Temples were also endowed with land by rulers as well as by others.
The produce of this land went into maintaining all the specialists who worked at the temple and very often lived near it – priests, garland makers, cooks, sweepers, musicians, dancers, etc. In other words, temples were not only places of worship; they were the hub of economic, social and cultural life as well.
