Brihadeeshwara temple (The Big Temple)
1000 Years
Popularly known as “Thanjavur Periya Kovil”– is the largest temple in India and is one of the greatest temples
with an outstanding architecture in the country. The 1002 year old
temple dedicated to the major Hindu deity, Lord Shiva, was built in 1010
AD by the Chola Emperor, Rajaraja Chola I.The temple represents the
brilliancy and excellence of Cholas who scaled major heights in large
scale as well as intricate architecture.The magnificent edifice not only
has sculptures, a majestic temple tower and
frescoes, but also has inscriptions disclosing the richness and wealth
of Tamil people during those days.
The temple has survived the ravages
of climactic changes, six recorded earthquakes and a major
fire. Recognizing its unique architectural excellence.
UNESCO has
declared it a World Heritage Monument.
Arulmozhivarman, the Tamil emperor, popularly known as Rajaraja Chola I,
ruled entire South India, east and a part of the western coast. He laid the foundations for the temple in compliance with the command
received in his dreams when he was crowned as an emperor in Sri Lanka.
The Chola originally named the temple as “Rajarajeswaram” and he
conducted all important festivals in the temple regularly. The Thanjavur
Periya Kovil and the capital had close business relations with the rest
of the country and acted as a centre of both religious and economic
activity.
Thanjavur Periya Kovil is almost 40 times bigger than that of any known temple of its time. The magnificent temple tower stands to a height of 216 feet (66m) and it is one among the tallest towers in the world. Standing to such a great height, the tower is also referred as “Dakshina Meru”, reveals
the particulars of the temple through the inscriptions left by the King
himself. The tower was built hollow by the master designers by
interlocking the stones without using any binding material. The big
statue of Nandhi (sacred bull), measuring about 16 feet long and 13 feet
high is at the entrance and it is made up of a single rock.
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