Brihadeeswarar Temple

Location: Tamil Nadu state Map

Date: 1010 AD

Height: 217 ft (66 m)

When: Nov-Mar

 

Brihadeeswarar Temple is a Hindu religious complex in Tamil Nadu state of India. It was constructed in 1010 AD. It reaches a height of 217 ft (66 m). The Brihadeeswarar Temple is completely built of granite . It is the first and only temple of its kind in the world made of granite. It attracts people from its grandeur, architecture and central dome. This temple to UNESCO 's World Heritage declared.

It was built by the first Chola ruler Rajaraja Chola between 1003-1010 AD . It is also named after him as the Rajarajeshwar temple . It was counted among the largest structures in the world of its time. The building has thirteen (13) storeys (the height of the storeys is odd in all Hindu occupations.) The height is about 66 meters. The temple is dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva .

It is a repository of crafts in every branch of art - architecture , stone and copper, iconography, painting, dance , music , jewelery and engraving. This temple is an excellent example of engraved Sanskrit and Tamil archive calligraphy. A feature of the construction art of this temple is that the shadow of its dome does not fall on the earth. Swarnakalash is situated on the summit. The stone on which this urn is located is estimated to have a weight of 2200 mana (80 tons) and is made of a single stone . Seeing the huge, magnificent Shivalinga installed in the temple, his name Brihadeeswarar seems appropriate.

On entering the temple there is a square pavilion inside the gopuram . Nandi is seated on the platform there . This statue of Nandi is 6 meters long, 2.6 meters wide and 3.7 meters high. This is the second largest statue of Nandji built in India with the same stone. Other scenic temples in Tanjore are Tiruvoririyur, Gangaikondacholapuram and Darasuram.

 

Location and origins

The temple is located on the outskirts of the southern Indian city of Thanjavur, which is famous for its numerous temple complexes. It can be reached via a secluded side street off West Main Street. To the west of the temple there is a forest area and to the south is the Grand Anikut Canal.

Construction began in 995 by Rajaraja I. The stones had to be brought from a quarry 45 kilometers away because there was no granite nearby. According to the inscriptions on the base of the temple, Rajaraja I himself was involved in its completion in 1010 by adding the spire to the Vimana. The temple was officially dedicated to Shiva under the name Rajarajeshvera, but most likely served to glorify its builder. After the completion of the temple, Rajaraja I brought around 600 temple servants to Thanjavur, including musicians, dancers, singers, conch shell players, canopy bearers, lamplighters, potters, washermen, astrologers, tailors, carpenters and gardeners. The temple was built to represent Rajaraja's vision of his power, his position of power and absolute order as a royal temple.

 

Architecture

The construction technology of the temple is considered clear and perfect; the entire temple complex is designed almost symmetrically. The rectangular 241 × 121 m temple site is surrounded by a wall decorated with 250 Linga statues. The wall's only gate is on the northeast side of the temple grounds. It has two gopurams, which were typical of the Chola period. The outer five-story entrance portal is higher at around 30 meters, the inner three-story gopura is decorated with Hindu stories.

In the center of the eastern temple grounds is a pavilion with a bull monolith, the third tallest Nandi statue in India with a height of 3.7 meters.

The main temple is a Dravida style structure. On the east side of the temple, a portico leads into two large vestibules (mandapa) supported on columns (hypostylos), which are accessed via stairs and through which the main tower of the temple (vimana) is reached. The outer wall of the temple is supported on partially inscribed bases and has numerous reliefs. The entire temple complex consists almost entirely of uncemented granite blocks. On a floor area of 25 × 25 m and 60.96 meters, the Vimana rises to 13 floors. Characteristic of the tower architecture of the Chola period, a hollow step pyramid with a monumental dome-like top, using similar large stone blocks (monolith construction). In the cella, which is accessible via a vestibule (antarala), there is a four-meter-high linga made of polished basalt, which occupies the first two floors and is separated from the rest of the vimana by a ceiling.

The dome of the Vimana consists of a granite block weighing around 80 tons. Allegedly / presumably a ramp several kilometers long was built to get to the step pyramid. There are 8 Nandi figures on the dome, which point in all directions.

 

Follow-up story

Within the temple complex there are as many as 15 structures and shrines that were not built during the Chola Dynasty period. The Chandikeshvara shrine was built by the Nayaks in the 16th century and the Subrahmanya shrine, which has a similar dome to the large Vimana, was also added in the 17th century. The Nataraja mandapa was only built around 1800 by Sarabhoji II Bhonsle. The Maratha dynasty had the Vimana re-plastered in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Since 1987, the temple has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the intact large Chola temples. The reason given is that the Brihadishvara Temple represents the first good example of Chola architecture, is built in an extraordinary and creative architectural style and represents Chola art. In 2004, the world heritage site was expanded to include the temples of Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Darasuram.

The temple is now a tourist attraction and a donation is expected upon entry.