Brihadeeswarar Temple - History
Arulmozhivarman, a Tamil emperor who was popular as
Rajaraja Chola I laid out foundations of Brihadeeswarar Temple during
1002 CE. It was first among other great building projects by Tamil Chola. A
symmetrical and axial geometry rules layout of this temple. Temples
from same period and two following centuries are expressions of Tamils Chola
power, artistic expertise and wealth. Emergence of these types of features,
such as multifaceted columns along with projecting signals of square capitals
signifies arrival of Chola style, which was new at that time.
It is one architectural exemplar, which showcases true
form of Dravida kind of architecture in temples and is a representative of
ideology of Chola Empire and Southern India’s Tamil civilization.
Brihadeeswarar Temple “testifies to Chola’s brilliant achievements in
architecture, painting, bronze casting and sculpture.”
It is said that after seeing Pallava Rajasimha Temples
in Kanchipuram, Emperor Rajaraja Cholan had the dream of establishing such a
huge temple for Lord Shiva. Brihadeeswarar Temple is first among all buildings,
which make use of granite fully and it finished within five years from 1004 AD
to 1009 AD.
The greatest of Chola emperors Rajaraja-I (985 A.D
- 1012 A.D) the son of Sundara Chola (Parantaka-II) and Vanavan mahadevi built
this magnificent temple named Brihadisvaram at Thanjavur - the capital of
Chola dynasty. From the Epigraphical evidence it is known about Rajaraja-I
started building this temple on his 19th year and completed on 275th day of his
25th year. It took just 6 years to complete this work on 1010 A.D.
On the 275th day of his 25th year as king (1010 CE) Raja
Raja Chola handed over a gold-plated Kalasam (copper pot or finial) to crown
the vimana (dome) as the final consecration of the temple. Brihadeeswarar
Temple was the nerve center of the Chola Empire and attracted musicians,
scholars, craftsman and merchants. It particularly served as a platform for
dancers who excelled in the traditional dance form of Sadir, which is now known
as Bharatha Natyam.
The Chola reign declined and they were ousted by the Pandyas
who were in turn thrown over by the Vijayanagara Empire. In 1535, the Vijayanagara
king installed a Nayak king and the clan, called Tanjore Nayaks, reigned till
the mid-17th century. In 1674, the Marathas conquered Tanjore. Later, like the
rest of the country, Thanjavur too fell into British hands.
The inscriptions and frescoes on the walls of
Brihadeeswarar Temple record the rise and fall of the city's fortunes. Shiva’s
representation is as a gigantic stone lingam. This is covered by a vimanam that
extends to 216 feet. It is built with stones that are bonded and notched
without any mortar. The topmost stone, an engineering marvel, weighs about
eighty tons.
Rajaraja-I named this temple as Rajarajesvaram and the
deity Shiva in Linga form as Peruvudaiyar, the temple is also known in the
deity's name as Peruvudaiyarkovil (in Tamil language). In later period Maratta
and Nayaks rulers constructed various shrines and gopurams of the temple. In
later period when the Sanskrit language was more popular during the Maratha
rule the temple was named in Sanskrit as Brihadisvaram and the deity as
Brihadisvara. Now-a-days it is called as Thanjai Periyakovil (Tanjore Big
temple).
The Brihadisvara Temple was completed in around 1010 in
the southeastern part of the new capital Thanjavur constructed in the basin of
the Kaveri (Cauvery) River by the king of the Chola Dynasty, Rajaraja I (r.
985-1014). It has also been called Rajarajesvara Temple after the king’s name.
It is one of the two greatest temples from the age of the Chola Dynasty
together with the Rajendra-Cholisvara Temple built in the next new capital,
Gangaikondacholapuram, which was constructed by his successor Rajendra I. Those
constructions were prodigious national projects showing the Chola Empire’s
hegemony in south India.
It is said that the Brihadisvara Temple was erected in
only seven years. Its precincts are surrounded with cloisters covering an area
of 120m by 240m and are also surrounded outside with heavy brick walls for an
area of 350m square including a large tank (reservoir).
There is a Nandi Shrine, two continuous extensive
Mandapas (worship rooms), an Antarala (antechamber), and a Vimana with a high
tower, all in line on the east-west axis. On the same axis stand Gopurams
(temple gateways) of the early phase at the eastern center of the cloister and
the brick wall. They are the sole entrance spots to the temple precincts.
Though they are embellished with sculptures, they look much lower than later
Gopurams of huge temples in south India, as the height of the Vimana is great
in contrast.
The second Gopura on the line of the cloisters is 24m in
both width and height, lower than the first Gopura, but its sculptures are
larger, with a pair of Dvarapalas (guardian figures) on both sides of the
doorway.
In the cloisters surrounding the precincts is a line of Lingas (phalluses),
symbol of Shiva, and wall paintings from the Nayaka period on the rear walls
delight the eye of pilgrims.
This Brihadisvara Temple made of granite and brick is
the greatest work of the Dravidian (northern) style in its grand scale and high
degree of perfection, alongside of the great temple in Gangaikondacholapuram.
The development of stone temples in the southern Indian style, having started
at the small temples at Mahabalipuram, reached their summit here. It became the
model of the temples to be built in south India and Southeast Asia in the
period of the Chola Dynasty.
However, after the end of the Chola Dynasty in the 13th
century, temple style would change dramatically. Huge Vimanas would not be
built anymore, rather temple precincts would be expanded, surrounding the
temple in fold upon fold, and constructing only Gopurams in a colossal scale on
the four sides. The outer Gopurams would be erected higher, and would
eventually attain more than 60m. The relationship of height between the main
shrine and its gates would be completely reversed. From this point too, the Brihadisvara
Temple in Thanjavur is the best representative of orthodox south Indian temple
architecture.