Dear Dr.Jaybee Thanks for a very nice and interesting account. I've thoroughly enjoyed your highly informative mails on Pazhaiyarai, Gangai Konda cholapuram, Ganges conquest of Rajendra and Siddhar Muthu vaduga nathar - in agathiyam e group. Not many well informed people have come forward to share their wide knowledge - you are one exception. We are all very delighted by your presence and we seek your blessings for the development and growth of this group.
All, Please do not feel about the downfall of Chola empire. Like all other empires, chola regime also got very corrupt during the period of Maravarman Sundara Pandiya(I think his chola counterpart was Rajaraja III - we have epigraphic evidences of revolts in many places - people sacrificing/immolating themselves to oppose corruption in temples etc.) And any regime which has lost the support of people will have to fall - this is one fact that keeps popping up again and again in history.
I understood that it was Jatavarman who donated for the golden vimana of Srirangam. I've wondered whether it was gold plated already or whether it was done with the gold donated by Jatavarman. The pranavakara vimanam of srirangam is believed to be very very ancient - even today it looks absolutely beautiful!
Coming to Dr.Jaybee's question : I think they should have used some form of Platform with a beam in the centre - asking elephant to climb one end of platform and balancing the gold from other side. The conventional tharasu may not have worked.
One unrelated piece : I've seem very huge well like pits inside srirangam temple - they say it was for storing ghee or rice etc.(It is there even today). Looking at the size of it, I'm not surprised at all, at the donation of Pandiyan king.