Brihadeeswarar Temple

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The Peruvudaiyar Kovil or Brihadeeswarar Temple Brihadeeswarar Temple

(Tamil: ெபைடயா ேகாவ , peruvuḍaiyār
kōvil ? ), also known as Rajarajeswaram,[1] at Thanjavur in the
Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is the world's first complete granite
temple[2] and a brilliant example of the major heights achieved
by Cholas kingdom Vishwakarmas in temple architecture. It is a
tribute and a reflection of the power of its patron RajaRaja
Chola I. It remains as one of the greatest glories of Indian
architecture.[3] The temple is part of the UNESCO World
Heritage Site "Great Living Chola Temples".

This temple is one of India's most prized architectural sites. The

temple stands amidst fortified walls that were probably added in
the 16th century. The 'Vimana' - or the temple tower - is 216 ft
(66 m) high [4][5] and is among the tallest of its kind in the world.
The Kalash or 'Chikharam' (apex or the bulbous structure on the
top) of the temple is not carved out of a single stone as widely
believed. There is a big statue of Nandi (sacred bull), carved out
of a single rock, at the entrance measuring about 16 feet long
and 13 feet high[6]. The entire temple structure is made out of
hard granite stones, a material sparsely available currently in
Thanjavur area where the temple is located.
Built in 1010 AD by Raja Raja Chola in Thanjavur, Name
Brahadishwara Temple also popularly known as the ‘Big
Temple’ has turned 1000 years Proper name: Brihadeeswarar Temple

Location
Location: Thanjavur
Contents Architecture and culture
■ 1 History History
■ 2 Temple complex Date built: 11th century AD
■ 2.1 Main temple
■ 2.2 Adjoining structures Creator: Raja Raja Chola
■ 2.3 Origin of Idea
■ 2.4 Other
■ 2.5 Features
■ 3 Travel information
■ 4 Millennium celebrations
■ 4.1 Bharathanatyam Yajna
■ 4.2 Commemorative Stamp and Coin Release
■ 5 Brihadeeswarar Temple in Historic Novels
■ 6 Picture Gallery
■ 7 External links
■ 8 Footnotes
History
The temple had its foundations laid out by the Tamil emperor Arulmozhivarman, popularly called Rajaraja Chola I,
(Tamil: இராஜராஜ ேசாழ, Rājarāja Choļan ? ) in 1002 CE , as the first of the great Tamil Chola building projects.
[7]
According to tradition, the temple was built by the Chola king Rajaraja in compliance of a command given to him in
his dream.[6] The scale and grandeur is in the Chola tradition. An axial and symmetrical geometry rules the temple layout.
[8]
Temples from this period and the following two centuries are an expression of the Tamils (Chola) wealth, power and
artistic expertise. The emergence of such features as the multifaceted columns with projecting square capitals signal the
arrival of the new Chola style.[9]

The Brihadeeswarar Temple was built to be the royal temple to display the emperor's vision of his power and his
relationship to the universal order. The temple was the site of the major royal ceremonies such as anointed the emperor
and linking him with its deity, Shiva, and the daily rituals of the deities were mirrored by those of the king. The temple
maintained a staff of 600 people in various capacities[citation needed]. Besides the Brahmins priest, these included record-
keepers, musicians, scholars, and craftsman of every type as well as housekeeping staff.In those days the temple remained
a hub of business activities for the flower merchants,milk vendors, oil merchants, ghee merchants, all of whom made a
regular supply of their respective goods for the temple for its pujas and during festival seasons.Moreover as evidenced by
the inscriptions that found in the compound wall of this temple, the temple had always been serving as a platform for the
dancers who excelled in the traditional dance form of Bharatha Natyam. Even today, the Brihadeeswarar Temple remains
India's largest.[10]

The temple is also an architectural exemplar showcasing the pure form of the Dravida type of temple architecture and
representative of the Chola Empire ideology and the Tamil civilisation in Southern India. The temples "testify to the
brilliant achievements of the Chola in architecture, sculpture, painting and bronze casting".[11] Built in 1010 AD by Raja
Raja Chola in Thanjavur, Brahadishwara Temple also popularly known as the ‘Big Temple’ has turned 1000 years.

Temple complex
The temple complex sits on the banks of a river that was
channeled to make a moat around the complex's outer walls,
the walls being built like a fortress. The complex is made up
of many structures that are aligned axially. The complex can
be entered either on one axis through a five-story gopuram or
with a second access directly to the huge main quadrangle
through a smaller free-standing gopuram. The massive size of
the main sikhara (although it is hollow on the inside and not
meant to be occupied), is 63 meters in height, with 16
severely articulated stories, and dominates the main
quadrangle. Pilaster, piers, and attached columns are placed
rhythmically covering every surface of the shikhara.[10]

Main temple
The main temple is in the center of the spacious quadrangle
composed of a sanctuary, a Nandi, a pillared hall and an
assembly hall (mandapas), and many sub-shrines. The most important part of the temple is the inner mandapa which is
surrounded by massive walls that are divided into different levels by sharply cut sculptures and pilasters providing deep
bays and recesses. Each side of the sanctuary has a bay emphasizing the principle cult icons.[8] 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, Shiva, resides. Inside is a huge stone linga Literally the word Karuvarai means "womb chamber"
from Tamil word Karu for foetus. Only priests are allowed to enter this inner most chamber.[12] In the Dravida style, the
Karuvarai takes the form of a miniature vimana with other features exclusive to southern Indian temple architecture such
as the inner wall together with the outer wall creating a pradakshina around the garbhagriha for circumambulation
(pradakshina). The entrance is highly decorated. The inside chamber housing the image of the god is the sanctum
 sanctorum, the garbhagriha.[9] The
garbhagriha is square and sits on a
plinth, its location calculated to be a
point of total equilibrium and
harmony as it is representative of a
microcosm of the universe. In the
center is placed the image of the deity.
[8]
The circumambulation winds
around the massive lingam in the
garbhagriha and is repeated in an
upper story, presenting the idea that
Chola Empire freely offered access to Temple gateway
the gods.[10]

The inner mandapa leads out to a rectangular mandapa and then to a twenty-
columned porch with three staircases leading down. Sharing the same stone plinth
is a small open mandapa dedicated to Nandi, Shiva's sacred bull mount.[8]
The apex of the tower is the
octagonal single stone granite piece
of 81.25 tons [9]

Adjoining structures
Surrounding the main temple are two walled enclosures. The outer wall is
high, defining the temple complex area. Here is the massive gopuram or
gateway mentioned above. Within this a portico, a barrel vaulted gorpuram
with over 400 pillars, is enclosed by a high wall interspersed with huge
gopurams axially lined up to the main temple.

Origin of Idea
The wish to build a mammoth temple like this is said to have occurred to Raja
Raja while he stayed at Ealam (ஈழ) (today's Sri Lanka) as a emperor.

Other Shrine of Ganapathy

Not only the temple and the "moolavar", (prime deity, Shiva) but all other
deities (Koshta Moorthigal) like Dakshinamurthy, Suriyan (Sun), Chandran (Moon) are very huge sized. Especially,
Brahadeeswar temple is one of the rare temples which has statues for "Ashta dik paalakas" [Lords of all Eight Directions
[Indra, Varuna, Agni, Eesana, Vayu, Niruthi, Yama, Kubera], each of which is a life like status i.e. approximately 6 feet
tall.

Features
The temple is made up of 130,000 tons of granite. The 60-metre tall vimana is still the tallest extant in South India. A
European-like figure is carved on the vimana, probably a warning of the arrival of the British.And the most important
feature of the building is that its belived,at no time of the day the shadow of the gopuram will not fall on the ground. But
it has been proven that the myth is wrong. [13] [14][15]

Travel information
Thanjavur can be reached easily by road, rail and air. Tamil Nadu State Government runs frequent public buses from
nearby Trichy, Chennai, Kumbakonam, Pudukkottai, Pattukkottai, Tirunelveli, Karur, Nagapattinam, Coimbatore and
many other cities in the state.In fact from the State capital Chennai, a National Highway (NH 45-A) linking Chennai with
Chidambaram,Mayavaram,Kumbakonam, Tanjore, and Nagappatinam runs across, which is the proper route for the
Foreigners, who come to visit Tanjore and the adjoining towns.There are equal number of buses operated by the private
bus operators too.
Rail services are run by Indian Railways from many cities across India including the nearby Chennai, Trichy, Tirunelveli,
Madurai and Nagore. "Tanjore Junction" is the name of the train station.
The nearest airport located 65 KM away is Tiruchirapalli Airport, Trichy.

Millennium celebrations
Built in the year 1010 AD by Raja Raja Chola in Thanjavur, Brahadishwara Temple also popularly known as the ‘Big
Temple’ has turned 1000 years and to mark the 1000th year of existence of the grand structure, the state government and
the town is all set to hold many cultural events. It was on the 275th day of his 25th regal year (1010 A.D) that Raja Raja
Chola (who ruled during 985-1014 A.D) handed over a gold-plated kalasam (copper pot or finial) for the final
consecration to crown the vimana (the 59.82 metre tall tower above the sanctum) of the temple.[16][17][18]

Bharathanatyam Yajna
To mark the occasion, the state government has organised a Bharathanatyam Yajna, classical dance show under noted
danseuse Padma Subramaniam. It is being jointly organised by the Association of Bharatanatyam Artistes of India
(ABHAI) and the Brhan Natyanjali Trust, Thanjavur. To mark the 1000th year anniversary of the building, 1000 dancers
from New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Tamilnadu, Andhrapradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Singapore, Malaysia and the U.S will
dance in concert for the recorded 11 verses of divine Music Thiruvichaippa (ninth of Thirumurai) composed by Karuvur
Thevar (the guru of Raja Raja Chola) called Tiruvisaippa. The small town will turn into a cultural hub for two days
starting September 26, 2010 as street performers and dancers will be performing all over the town.[19][20]

Commemorative Stamp and Coin Release

On 26 September 2010 (Big Temple’s fifth day of millennium
Celebrations), as an dignification to Big Temple’s contribution to
the country’s Cultural, Architectural, Epigraphical history, a
Special Rs.5 Postage Stamp of the 216-feet tall giant Raja
Gopuram was released by India Post as well as a special
commemorative Rs.5 coin with the model of temple embossed on
it was released by the Reserve Bank of India.[21][22] A Raja,
Cabinet Minister of Communications and Information Technology released the esteemed
Brihadeeswarar Temple Special stamp and the first of which was received by G K Vasan,
Cabinet Minister of Shipping.

Already on 01 April 1954, Reserve Bank of India has released a Rs.1000 currency note
featuring a panoramic view of the Brihadeeswara Temple to mark the cultural and
heritage significance of the temple. In the year 1975, the then government lead by
Prime Minister Late Indira Gandhi has demonetized all the Rs 1,000 notes to cease the
Black money.[23]

The Tamilnadu Chief Minister, M.Karunanidthi also renamed Semmai Paddy, a special
type of high productivity paddy variant, as Raja Rajan-1000 to mark 1000 year
celebration of the Big Temple’s Builder, Raja Raja Cholan. [24]

Brihadeeswarar Temple in Historic Novels

1. Balakumaran has written the story Udaiyar based on the life of Raja Raja Chola I and the building activities around
Brihadeeswarar temple
Picture Gallery

Entrance to
Another deity in
Temple at sunset Dakshinamoorthi Detail of Gopuram
Gopuram
temple

One of many stone

Detail of steps of the deities found in the Several of the Lingam
The Shrine of Sri
Shrine of Sri pillared cloister found in the pillared
Subramanya
Subramanya surrounding the cloister
courtyard

Example of the many Nandi, looking

frescos found in the peaceful. Raja Raja Cholan
pillared cloister

External links
■ The Big Temple (http://www.thebigtemple.com)
■ Thanjavur Big Temple (http://www.thanjavur.org.in/thanjavur_big_temple.php)
■ Brihadeshvara Temple (http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/india/thanjavur/bri01.html)
■ Unesco Great Living Chola Temples (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/250)
■ Photo of Brihadeeswarar Temple Plinth and Pillars
(http://www.landarch.uiuc.edu/resources/courses/coursewebsites/LA218Web/0583145.html)
■ Photo of Brihadeeswarar Gopurams
(http://www.landarch.uiuc.edu/resources/courses/coursewebsites/LA218Web/0573145.html)
■ Divya Darisanam (http://divyadarisanams.blogspot.com/2010/03/big-temple-also-known-as-brahadeeswara.html)
■ Thanjavur Big Temple, YouTube Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYzS0tD5rOY)
■ The Big Temple Of Thanjavur- A world Heritage. YouTube Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=ruGIkMAKq8k)
 ■ Image Gallery of Brihadeeswarar Temple under cc license
(http://www.indiainimages.com/gallery/2010/08/26/brihadeeswarar-temple-4/1/)

Footnotes
1. ^ South Indian Inscriptions - VolII, Part I& II
2. ^ http://india.gov.in/myindia/facts.php
3. ^ Atlas of the Year 1000 - Page 105 by John Man
4. ^ Middle Chola Temples, S.R.Balasubrahmanyam
5. ^ CBSE textbook on Social Studies Class 10
6. ^ a b Encyclopaedia of Political Parties By Ralhan, O. P.
7. ^ "The Chola Dynasty 300 B.C. to 1250 A.D." (http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/deccan/cholas.htm) . kamat.com.
http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/deccan/cholas.htm. Retrieved 2008-01-22.
8. ^ a b c d Thapar, Binda (2004). Introduction to Indian Architecture. Singapore: Periplus Editions. pp. 43, 52–53. ISBN
0794600115.
9. ^ a b c Mitchell, George (1988). The Hindu Temple. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 145–148. ISBN 0-266-53230-5.
10. ^ a b c Ching et al., Francis D.K. (2007). A Global History of Architecture. New York: John Wiley and Sons. pp. 338–339. ISBN
0-471-82451-3.
11. ^ "Great Living Chola Temples" (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/250) . UNESCO.org. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/250. Retrieved
2008-01-21.
12. ^ "Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent - Glossary" (http://www.indoarch.org/arch_glossary.php) .
http://www.indoarch.org/arch_glossary.php. Retrieved 2007-01-24.
13. ^ http://www.hindu.com/lf/2004/03/30/stories/2004033001340200.htm
14. ^ http://www.varalaaru.com/images/May06/nizhal.jpg
15. ^ http://www.varalaaru.com/images/May06/thiruchutru.jpg
16. ^ BBC News (25 September 2010). "India's Big Temple marks 1,000th birthday" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-
11406440) . http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11406440. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
17. ^ PS. R. Balasubrahmanyam (1971), Orient Longman Publications. "Early Chola temples:Parantaka I to Rajaraja I, 907-985
A.D".
18. ^ Ananthacharya Indological Research Institute (1984). "Rāja Rāja, the great:seminar proceedings".
19. ^ Rediff News (16 August 2010). "India's Biggest Temple turns 1000-years" (http://news.rediff.com/slide-
show/2010/aug/16/slide-show-1-indias-biggest-temple-turns-1000-years.htm) . http://news.rediff.com/slide-
show/2010/aug/16/slide-show-1-indias-biggest-temple-turns-1000-years.htm. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
20. ^ The Hindu (01 August 2010). "A grand dance spectacle at the Thanjavur Big
Temple" (http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article544804.ece) . http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-
nadu/article544804.ece. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
21. ^ Deccan Herald (26 September 2010). "Stamp, coin release mark 1,000 years of Big
Temple" (http://www.deccanherald.com/content/99918/stamp-coin-release-mark-1000.html) .
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/99918/stamp-coin-release-mark-1000.html. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
22. ^ The Hindu (27 September 2010). "Release of a special postal stamp and a five- rupee
coin" (http://www.hindu.com/2010/09/27/stories/2010092759620100.htm) .
http://www.hindu.com/2010/09/27/stories/2010092759620100.htm. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
23. ^ Express Buzz, The Indian Express (26 September 2010). "Rs 1000 note of 1954 popular in
Tanjavur" (http://expressbuzz.com/topnews/rs-1000-note-of-1954-popular-in-tanjavur/210112.html) .
http://expressbuzz.com/topnews/rs-1000-note-of-1954-popular-in-tanjavur/210112.html. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
24. ^ MSN News (26 September 2010). "Semmai Paddy as “Raja Rajan-1000”" (http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-
documentid=4424908) . http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4424908. Retrieved 27 September 2010.

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Categories: World Heritage Sites in India | Hindu World Heritage Sites | Thanjavur District | Hindu temples in Tamil
Nadu | Architectural styles | History of Thanjavur | Tamil architecture | Thanjavur

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