THANJAVUR BIG TEMPLE
The Tanjavur big temple called Brahadeeswarar temple,Peruvudaiyar
temple,Rajarajeswara temple and Rajarajeshwaram and is dedicated to Lord Shiva.It was built in
1010 AD by the Tamil emperor Arulmozhivarman popularly known as Rajaraja cholan I(985-1012
A.D).This temple is an best example of Chola brilliant achievements in architecture,sculpture,painting
and bronze casting.The scale and grandeur is in chola tradition.An axial and
symmetrical geometry rules the temple layout.UNESCO has declared it as a World Heritage Monument because of its unique
architectural excellence.
The construction of usual temple
building style of having a tall gopuram and small vimanam.At the big temple,the
vimanam(temple tower) looks high and gopuram is smaller.The 64.8mt tall,14 tier
pyramid shaped vimanam raised from a square base is topped by a huge monolithic
cupola carved from an 81.3 tonne block of granite and it was raised with the
aid of 6km long inclined plane.It is testimony to the engineering skills of the
cholas.The kumbam(khalasha or Chikharam)is apex or bulbous structure on the top
of the temple is carved out of a single stone.
It has gigantic Mahalingam in the
shrine,measuring 4 meters in height.A monolithic Nandhi chiseled out of a
single rock,measuring 5.94mts in length,2.51mts in breadth,3.66 mts in
height.It is the second largest Nandhi in India.Nandhi or bull is the vehicle
of Lord
Shiva.Beautiful paintings of chola fresco adorn the inner walls of the
temple.The karuvarai, a tamil word meaning the interior of the sanctum
sanctorum,is the inner most sanctum and focus of the temple where an image
of the primary deity.The inner wall
together with the outer wall creating a pradakshina around the garbhagriha for
circumambulation.The entrance is highly decorated.
The Brahadeeswarar temple is one of
the outstanding temple in south india and it is the chola dynasty’s finest
contribution to the Dravidian temple architecture. This temple is the first
building fully built by granite and finished within 5 years(1004AD – 1009AD)
and it remains India’s largest temple.The outer wall of the upper storey is
carved with 81 dance karanas – postures of Bharathanatyam,the classical dance
of tamils.The shrine of Goddess is added by Pandyas during the 13th
century.Subramanya Shrine by Vijayanagara rulers and the vinayaka shrine was
renovated by Maratha rulers.
Balakumaran has written historic novel
themed on the life of Raja Raja chola I and the construction of the
Brahadeeswarar temple.Kalki has also written a novel ’Ponniyin Selvan” based on the life of RajaRaja chola I.