Brihadishwara Temple

The Brihadishwara Temple, also known as Rajarajeswaram built by the Chola Kings a thousand years ago, is one of the oldest and greatest Shiva Temple of all times. Everyday very much alive with devotees and tourists, this massive temple is situated in Thanjavur in Tamilnadu state. It is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site 'Great Living Chola Temples'. Pyramidical in shape, the temple stands to the South west of the old town, near the Grand Anicut Canal surrounded by a number of subsidiary shrines. Built by the Chola Raja I , who personally donated the glided pot finial at the summit of the tower, Brihadishwara Temple is considered as the grandest architectural achievement of the Chola era. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, it is a 16 - storey temple with a 66 m high monumental tower or vimana over the inner sanctum which can be visible for miles around.

The temple stands in the middle of a spacious rectangular court and can be entered from the east side of the temple through two gopurams widely separated from each other. These structures are dominated by vaulted roofs adorned with plaster sculptures. In the second gopura features mirror images of temple, smaller carvings illustrate scenes from the Shaiva legends like the marriage of Shiva and Parvathi, Siva protecting Markandeya and Arjuna winning the pasupata weapon etc. At the center of each, is a monolithic sandstone lintel which is said to have been brought from Tiruchirappalli.

Inside the large temple courtyard has a pavilion, sanctuary, a Nandi, a pillared hall and an assembly hall (mandapas), and many sub-shrines. There is a flight of steps leading to a pillared pavilion.The pavilion is a 16 th century pavilion, facing the main temple. Fronted by a tall lamp column, it has a 6 m long granite Nandi carved out of a single block of granite 6 m long. It is considered as the third largest in the country. The pavilion has slender columns with carvings. There are two other flights of steps on the north and south between the front porch and the main shrine on either sides. 

The main temple, constructed of granite, consists of a square linga sanctuary adjoining an antechamber and a long pillared hallway on the east, followed by the ardhamandapa or half hall. The base of this sanctuary is 46 square meters. Above it, is the pyramidical tower rises to a height of about 66m. It's apex is exactly one third of the size of the base. The tower has 13 storeys with pilastered walls, parapets. The walls of the antechamber are triple storeyed. The temple's pilastered walls are raised on high basement decorated with yalis and makaras and also covered with inscriptions such as the origins, construction etc. The north and south doorways can be reached by steps flanked by balustrades with curved tops and figural side panels. The long hall is partly completed which has been roughly adjoined to the half hall. The eastern doorway is flanked by guardian figures and inside, the walls are decorated with 18th century Maratha portraits.