Brihadeeswara Temple (India)

Hello everyone, It's been a long day today and my interest in writing articles here has not even decreased by an inch.

In this entry I would like to share with all my friend around the world about a magnificent architectural work of the ancient times located in the state I was born.

I guarantee you that reading about this masterpiece of ancient art and architecture will definitely increase your interest in visiting India and, especially in my case, Tamil Nadu.

The masterpiece I'm talking about is the world famous Thanjai Peruvudaiyar Kovil also having different names such as Brihadeeswara temple, Rajarajaeswara Temple and Rajarajaeswaram.

This temple is situated in the district of Thanjavur also known in English as Tanjore a district in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Travel:

Reaching Tanjore from the capital of Tamil Nadu which is Chennai is quite easy.

There are different options available. You may choose a roadway transport or railway transport.

By road, you have buses both public and private buses departing from different bus terminuses in CMBT which is abbreviated as Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus.

Often the private buses fares are a bit higher than the public buses as they are more luxurious.

There are also trains leaving from the Egmore Railway Station to Tanjore Junction; like every other Indian train has different classes to sit ranging from the unreserved or the second class to fully air conditioned compartments. The train journey is the one I prefer as it doesn't tires you so much like a bus.

History:

The temple is an Archeological Treasure of India and has been recognised as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. The temple was built during the period of Cholas one of the famous emperors of the south. The one among the three prominent kings Chera's Chola's and the Pandya's who ruled south during the ancient times.

The temple has the world tallest tower, also called as Vimana by Hindus measuring about 66 metres which is carved from a single stone.

There is also a statue of Nandhi located outside near the entrance that measures about 13 feet in height and 16 feet in length which also carved out of a single stone.

The temple stands tall inside a fortified wall that was built in the later years.

The stones used for the construction of this temple are granite stones and the most amazing thing with this temple lies here. In Tanjore there are no granite stones available and the nearest source where granite stones are available is the present district of Trichy which is at a distance of 60 kilometres from Tanjore.

Still archeologists can't find an answer how these massive stones were bought from Trichy to Tanjore in that ancient time with no technology at all.

The temple is about 1013 years old till date and even today it hasn't lost its majestic appearance.

A 1000 Year Old Wonder:

The construction process began during the 10th century where the Chola King Raja Raja Cholan laid the basement for this massive structure.

The Chola King decided to build this temple because of the orders that was given to him in dream. He constructed the Brihadeeswara Temple as a sign of the power, wealth and artistic skills of the Chola's rule.

The temple was the place where all the royal ceremonies took place. The temple was the royal place of worship of the King. The temple stands even today as an example of Dravidian architecture and the Chola empire supremacy in art, sculpture work, bronze sculpture making, and painting.

The idea of constructing such a massive temple first came in the mind of Raja Raja Chola during his stay in Sri Lanka which was under the Chola rule during the ancient time.

Brihadeeswara temple was the first structure that was made full from granite stones and to be completed within five years. The amazing structure at the Brihadeeswara temple, the kalasam or the finial is a massive structure weighing about 81 tonnes and was raised to the top of the temple tower by pulling it in an inclined angle.

The elephants and the manpower used to do this stretched for a length of 7 kilometres approximately.

The sculpture of Nandhi which is the vehicle of Lord Shiva is another gigantic structure carved out of a single stone measuring 2 metres in height, 6 metres in length, 2. 5 metres in breadth and weighing about 20 tonnes.

The temple can be accessed through entrances and the main tower of the temple or Vimana measures about 60 metres in height. The main tower has thirteen storeys in it and it was one of the largest structures in the world during the time it was built.

The gopuram, which is the second tower, is less than the main tower and measures upto 30 metres in height. This is a unique dravidian architecture because in Hindu temples usually the gopurams are taller than the main towers. The lower part of the gopuram is made of stone and the roof is made of brick in order to minimize the weight that the stone is about to bear for thousands of years.

The temple wall is filled with stone carvings that depicts 81 different bharathanatyam positions which is the classical dance of Tamil Nadu.

There are many pillars with stone carvings in it such as the donors for the construction of the temple but there is a sculpture of a herder in a pillar which still remains a mystery.

The Chandeshvara shrine, that is located within the temple complex, resembles a miniature model of the massive temple.

There is also a moat towards the Nandhi and during flood in the nearby river the Nandhi's base get submerged in water. Like any other Shiva temple the Nandhi is faced towards the main God Shiva. This thousand year old massive temple devoted to Lord Shiva is still the largest temple in India.

The main God in the Brihadeeswara temple is Lord Shiva with other God sculptures that are placed around the temple on the inside. It is one among the rare hindu temples that has sculptures for Gods of Direction called in Hinduism as Indra, Agni, Yama, Nirrti, Varuna, Vayu, Kubera, Isara. Each God has a seperate sculpture in the size of a normal person measuring upto 6 feets and placed in separate temples. Their sculptures are present in the respective directions which they belong. The entire temple is composed of thirteen thousand tonnes of granite and it is believed that the shadow of the temple's gopuram, or the tower, never falls on ground. There are frescoes that belong to Chola period portraying Lord Shiva destroying a giant. There are many battle scenes between Lord Shiva and Gaints depicted in the frescoes identified. The temple has got several recognitions from the government of India and also the government of Tamil Nadu. Some examples of them are: Indian government has released a postage stamp depicting the Brihadeeswara temple, the 1000 rupee Indian Currency note bears the image of this massive temple and so on...

Conclusion:

The Brihadeeswara temple according to my view is a 1000 year old wonder that stands tall despite of all the natural calamities that it has faced through a millennium in the heart of Tamil Nadu. With so much of technology available today still there is no such structure built in the history of the world. This is not only a religious place to worship but a place of valuable historical and archeological possessions. Visiting the temple would enrich you with lots of information about dravidian culture. Don't forget to visit this magnificent construction of the past if you get a chance to visit India. Thanks for reading and if you have any comments please post it below. Encourage me by hitting the "Like" button below. Cheers :)