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.
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.
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.
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.