Tamilnadu Tourism: Brihadeeswarar Temple, Tanjore

Brihadeeswarar Temple, Tanjore

Brihadeeshwara Temple (Peruvudaiyar Kovil) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in Thanjavur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is also known as Periya Kovil, RajaRajeswara Temple and Rajarajesvaram. It is one of the largest temples in India and is an example of Dravidian architecture during the Chola period.

Built by emperor Raja Raja Chola I and completed in 1010 AD, the temple turned 1000 years old in 2010. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Great Living Chola Temples", with the other two being the Brihadeeswarar Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Airavatesvara temple.

The temple stands amidst fortified walls that were probably added in the 16th century. The vimanam (temple tower) is 216 ft (66 m) high and is the tallest in the world. The Kumbam (the apex or the bulbous structure on the top) of the temple is carved out of a single rock and weighs around 80 tons. There is a big statue of Nandi (sacred bull), carved out of a single rock measuring about 16 ft (4.9 m) long and 13 ft (4.0 m) high at the entrance.

The entire temple structure is made out of granite, the nearest sources of which are about 60 km to the west of temple. The temple is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Tamil Nadu.

Temple Timeline

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Myths & Features

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History

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Rajaraja Chola the Great – Builder

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Temple Construction

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Temple complex

The temple complex sits on the banks of a river that was channeled to make a moat around the complex's outer walls; the walls were being built like a fortress. The complex is made up of many structures that are aligned axially. The complex can be entered either on one axis through a five-story gopuram or with a second access directly to the huge main quadrangle through a smaller free-standing gopuram.

The massive size of the main Vimanam (Shikhara) is ca. 60.96 meters high, with 16 elaborately articulated stories, and dominates the main quadrangle. Pilaster, piers (a raised structure), and attached columns are placed rhythmically covering every surface of the Vimanam. The gopuram of the main entrance is 30 m high, smaller than the vimana. It is unusual in the Dravidian architecture where the gopurams are generally the main towers and taller than the vimanam.

Gopurams

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Maratta Mandapam & Paintings

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Murals/Frescos

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Main Nandhi

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Nandhi at the top of Sri Vimana

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Nandhis & Lingas on Praharam & Walls

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Sculptures

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Deities

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Main Shrine & Sri Vimana

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Subsidiary Shrines

Periyanayaki Amman Shrine:

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Chandeshwara Shrine:

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Shubramanya Shrine:

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Ganesha Shrine:

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Karuvurar Shrine:

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Varahi Amman Shrine:

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Dakshinamoorthy Shrine:

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Inscriptions

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Adjoining structures

Surrounding the main temple are two walled enclosures. The outer wall is high, defining the temple complex area. Here is the massive gopuram or gateway mentioned above. Within this a portico, a barrel vaulted gopuram with over 400 pillars, is enclosed by a high wall interspersed with huge gopurams axially lined up to the main temple. It was built by Rajaraja Brahmarayan (Krishnan Raman).

Krishnan Raman was an officer in the Chola army who served as the Commander-in-chief of the Chola forces under Rajendra Chola. He held the title Mummadi Brahmarayar Niyomanam. Krishnan Raman is known for the religious endowments he made.

He was one of the main donors to the Brihadeeswarar temple at Thanjavur. Inscriptions in the Rajarajesvaram temple indicate that Krishnan Raman constructed the fortifications around the temple. This wall is known as Krishnan Raman Tiruchurrumaligai. This is one of the oldest surviving defensive walls around any Chola temple. A metal image of Ardhanariswara was donated by him in 1014 AD.

Attractions

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Devadasi Traditions

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Temple personnel

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Pooja Timings

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