Brihadeeswarar Temple – Rajaraja Chola the Great –
Builder
Rajaraja Chola I (985 to 1015 CE) was an unequalled
monarch who ruled the entire Southern part of India over thousand years ago,
whose greatness and glory can still witnessed by the world by his magnum opus
the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur.
He was born Arulmozhivarman, the second son of the
Parantaka Cholan II alias Sundara Cholan and Vanavan Mahadevi. His brother the
crown prince the Valiant Aditha Karikalan was assassinated and there was a
political instability which followed this. Even as a youngster when all the
people of the country wanted to crown him as the ruler, he declined and
relinquished his right and requested his uncle to rule the mighty Chola kingdom
to avoid any ill feelings in the family and waited for fifteen years to become
the monarch and ruled for thirty years from 985 to 1015 which was the beginning
of the golden age of Cholas.
It’s not an exaggeration to call Rajaraja Chola an all
round genius earning him the various
titles which can be found in his inscriptions.
He was valiant
warrior and a master strategist who built his empire by his
might of his army, navy and political treaties.
He paid meticulous attention to the welfare and comfort
of his people. His local administration and civil administration system was par
excellence.
Rajaraja built the Great temple of Thanjavur and covered
the two hundred feet high tower with gold to signal his contribution. The
temple survives to this day in its original grandeur. It is a magnificient
haven of architecture, sculpture and paintings.
His rule demonstrates the equality and liberty the chola
women enjoyed. His sister Kundavai and queens possessed property in their own
names, which they donated to charity, temples and issuing orders with equal
validity as that of the Emperor.
Rajaraja was a staunch follower of Saivism but ensured
religious tolerance and patronized all religions Saivism, Vaishnavism, Saktam,
Jainism and Buddhism alike.
Raja Raja Chola I was clearly the greatest of the Chola
Monarchs. He restored the brilliant Thevaram hymns of the Saivite Nayanmars
from obscurity. Raja Raja was a great builder, and the Peruvudaiyar Koyil or
the Big Temple at Thanjavur was his creation.