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The magnificence of Brihadeeshvar temple, Thanjavur

Deeksha PS 1*, Priyaranjan Behera 2
1
Student, Bachelor of Design, SOD, Presidency University, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
2
Professor, Bachelor of Design, SOD, Presidency University, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

* Corresponding Author: Deeksha PS

Article Info Abstract

Temples were built for religious and spiritual activities, worship, and sacrifice. In
India, there are numerous magnificent temples. Tanjore Big Temple is one of the most
ISSN (online): 2582-7138 ancient and popular. It is one of the most visited and ancient temples in India, located
Volume: 03 on the south bank of the Cauvery River in Trichy, Tamil Nadu. Raja Raja the Great
Issue: 03 (985-1014 AD) built the Brihadeeshwara Temple (or Rajarajeshvara) in Tanjore, the
May-June 2022 Chola dynasty's capital. The temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, dates from the 10th
Received: 25-05-2022 century.
They are a magnificent innovative achievement in the architectural conception of the
Accepted: 11-06-2022 Dravida temples' pure form. This innovative architectural style, known as the
Page No: 634-637 Dravidadesha style, was practised only in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu during
various dynasties. It was built over a six-year period out of granite stone and reflects
the Chola kingdom's success and wealth. It is still a mystery how it was built and how
the construction was carried out without technology 1000 years ago. Every time they
visit the temple, people are amused by its construction.

Keywords: Brihadeeshvar, magnificence, Temple, Raja Rama

1. Introduction
Heaven and Earth are brought together in the temple. India is said to be a land of temples. As we all know, there are numerous
temples throughout India. Basically, different dynasties build temples to various gods based on their beliefs, culture, and
sometimes to celebrate victory, and so on. India's temples have a few thousand years of history behind them. So, the
Brihadeeshwara Temple in Tanjore, Tamil Nadu, India, is an ever-amazing monument built in the 10th century by Raja Raja
Chozhan. It is also one of the three Chozha kingdoms in South India known as the 'Great Living Chola Temple,' along with
Brihadeeshwara Temple in Gangaikondachozhapuram and Airavadeshvara Temple in Darasuram. This temple is commonly
referred to as 'Thanjai Periya Koyil [1].'
The monument not only symbolises Chozha's power. The massive temple is surrounded by a massive colonnaded 'prakara' with
sub-shrines dedicated to the 'ashta dikpalas' and a main entrance with 'gopura' (known as Rajarajanthiruvasal). The main temple's
inner sanctum, or Vimana, is 66 metres high and made of granite stone, housing the Shiva deity in a hollow Garbhagriha. On
top of this tower is a granite capstone weighing approximately 80 tonnes. A massive stone bull known as 'Nandi' stands right
before the entrance to Lord Shiva's main shrine. It is large and massive, carved out of a single rock, i.e., monolithic, and measures
about 16 feet long and 13 feet tall [2].
Many mysteries and secrets remain unsolved. It is both a temple and a beautiful tourist attraction. Many tourists from all over
the world come here to see the incredible architecture, figurines, and to learn about a few mysteries [3].

2. Objectives
The main objective of this paper is to study about the beauty and construction of Tanjore Big Temple located at Trichy in the
state of Tamil Nadu [4].

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3. An Overview of the Area 6. The Astonishing Architecture

Tamil Nadu is a state in southern India, bordered by the The structure is 63 metres tall, making it the tallest temple
Indian Ocean to the south and east, Andhra Pradesh to the building in India. The temple's design and development
north, and Kerala to the west. The state's culture and heritage clearly adhere to the rules of symmetrical and axial
are extremely rich. The Hindu temples and monuments in this symmetry. The temple complex is entirely rectangular, giving
area have also become popular tourist destinations. Tamil the appearance of two stacked squares. The rectangular
Nadu is the home of many tales that are mystic and other- complex is approximately 140*75 metres in size and is
worldly; the land where elaborate architecture and beautiful surrounded by a wall with beautiful interior niches. Inside
sculptures of its ancient temples leave all tourists spellbound this space, there are five main sections namely:
with their astounding beauty.  Sanctum with great tower structure (Sri Vimanam)
Tanjore is the 11th most populous city in Tamil Nadu. The  The Nandi Hall (Nandi-mandapam)
city is an important agricultural centre in the Kaveri Delta and  Between the above two, there lies the main community
is commonly referred to as the "Rice Bowl of Tamil Nadu." hall (Mukha-mandapam)
Tanjore is an important centre of South Indian religion, art,  Great gathering hall (Maha-mandapam) and
and architecture, as well as a major pilgrimage site and tourist  A canopy that connects the great hall with the sanctum
destination in Tamil Nadu. The Brihadeeshvar Temple, (Antrala).
which is described in this paper, is Thanjavur's most visited
monument. Percy Brown, a historian, described its 6.1. General outlook
construction as "a watershed moment in the evolution of The temple contains numerous wonders. It is built in the style
building art in South India." of a rock. The temple was built on a precise plan of 16*16
squares, a design known as padmagarbhamandala in South
4. History Indian Dravida architecture. It's amazing that they used
According to the Vedas, there were two predominant castes bipolar technique so meticulously back then. The temple
in ancient times: Saiva and Vainava. Those who worship faces east and was once surrounded by a water trench. It is
Lord Shiva as their supreme deity follow Saiva, while those built on a platform with a high dadoed base. The Sri
who worship Lord Vishnu as their Supreme power follow Vimanam, a granite tower with 13 levels above the
Vainava. Previously, several countries around the world garbhagriha or inner shrine, is topped by a dome structure that
practised the Saiva religion. So, in essence, the people who rests on a single 7.7 m square granite box weighing nearly 80
spread this religion and its way of life were known as tonnes.
'Cholas.' They spread the glory of the Saiva religion The structure features a front entrance (a mandapa) with 36
throughout many empires around the world. columns. The rocks and other materials needed for this
The great Raja Raja Chozhan was a powerful descendant of construction were brought in from neighbouring states and
the great Cholas who built such a beautiful architecture- the countries. It took nearly 25 years to sculpt these rocks and
Brihadeeshvar Temple. Kunjara Mallan Raja Rama another 9 years to properly arrange and construct them. It
Peruthachan designed the structure. took 34 years to build this massive structure.

6.2. The Temple Tower or the Sri Vimanam

The structure Everyone is fascinated by the techniques used
in the construction of the Vimanam. It is one of the tallest
structures in South India, standing 216 feet tall and weighing
approximately 80 tonnes. First, a tank-like structure was
carved out for about 350 feet depth and filled with sand
brought from rivers in the Western Ghats. This structure is
similar to the well-known 'Tanjore doll' (Thalaiyatti
Bommai). In short, the structure's foundation is made of sand
and is built and designed in such a way that it adjusts to the
movement of the Earth.

Source image: Internet

Fig 1: Raja Raja Chozhan

The Brihadeeshvar temple was built as a dedication to Lord Source image: Internet
Shiva between 995 and 1025 CE, using valuables won during
the Chozha war and tribute from Sri Lanka. Fig 2: The Temple Tower or The Vimana

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6.3. The Maha Nandi

The Maha Nandi, also known as the Holy Bull, is the vehicle
of Lord Shiva. It's in the Nandi Hall, a 16-legged mandapam
directly across from the Main Shrine's entrance. The Nandi is
unique in that it is carved out of a single rock that weighs
approximately 80 tonnes. And the Nayak Emperors of the
Vijaya Nagara Dynasty sculpted this statue in the 16th
century AD.

Source image: Internet

Fig 3: The Maha Nandi

6.4. The Mandapas

The Maha-mandapa and the Mukha mandapa are the two
most prominent mandapa. These mandapas are arranged in an
axial pattern between the Vimanam and the Nandi Hall. The
Maha-mandapa, for example, has six pillars on each side and
many artworks. It's surrounded by two dvarapalas. The
Mukha-mandapa follows, which is connected to the Maha-
mandapa via stairs. It is also surrounded by dvarapalas and
has artworks.

6.5. Main Deities

Lord Shiva is the main deity of Tanjore Big Temple. The
statue stands 12 feet tall and is one of the tallest in South
India. The temple's other main deities are Parvati, Ganesha,
Murugan, Dakshinamoorthy, and Varahi. There are also eight
small shrines to Agni, Indra, Varuna, Kubera, and other Source image: Internet
deities at the Mukha-mandapa. These deities are also referred
to as the guardians of each direction. Fig 4: Inscriptions of Tanjore Big Temple

7. Inscriptions 8. Secrets of the Tanjore Big Temple

The Tanjore Big Temple is not only a magnificent example The temple has many secrets in it, some solved and some
of their beautiful architecture, but it is also very rich in Tamil unsolved.
inscriptions engraved on the temple's pillars and stones. In 1. At noon, the Vimana's shadow never falls on the ground.
Tamil and Sanskrit, each inscription begins with an This is because the tower is built perpendicular to the
introduction to the king or donor who authorised it. These earth with not even a single degree of inclination, and
inscriptions mostly describe the temple's many gifts of land, findings also indicate that the base is much larger than
silver, gold, money, precious gems, and jewellery. There are the Vimanam.
also culinary inscriptions all around the temple, which I find 2. The stone used to create the main deity, Lord Shiva, was
fascinating. brought from Saurashtra in Gujarat in West India. The
astounding fact here is that the distance between Tanjore
and Gujarat is 2100 kilometres. It is surprising how it
was possible 1000 years ago with no transportation
technologies. It remains a mystery till date.
3. It is well known that the temple is entirely made of
granite. A staggering 1,30,000 tonnes of granite were
used in the construction, but there is no trace of any
granite quarry within a 50-kilometer radius.
4. No binding material was used to connect the rocks;
instead, interlocking stones were used to construct this
216-foot-tall structure. Until now, the brilliance of
architecture has not been matched by our modern

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techniques.
5. Certain doors in the temple passages could only be
opened after reciting sacred mantras. These secrets were
only known to the great Raja Raja Chozha's closest
associates.
6. The main shrine's entrance is flanked by two Ganesh,
Lord Shiva's son, idols. When the two are tapped, it is
discovered that the sound travels through stone in one
and metal in the other.
7. This grand premise celebrated its 1000th year in
September 2010.

9. Conclusion
Tanjore Big Temple is a gift from our brilliant ancestors to
us. Behind each brick, there is a wealth of creativity,
intelligence, and stories. It serves not only as a spiritual site,
but also as an art gallery, a tourist attraction, and so on. It
makes us think about how buildings were built 1000 years
ago, the techniques and equipment used. The temple is one of
three 'Great Living Chola Temples,' which are still active in
cultural, pilgrimage, and worship practises.

10. References
1. Yalala S. Unique Features of Dravidian Architecture in
India: A Retrospect. Research Journal of Humanities and
Social Sciences. 2019;10(2):503-507.
2. Bhosle PP. Contributions of Thanjavur Maratha Kings:
(with a Brief History of Chatrapathi Shivaji Maharaj,
Dharmaveer Sambhaji Maharajah, Swami Samartha
Ramdas, Cholas, Nayakas and Indian Classical Art-
Bharatanatyam). Notion Press; c2017.
3. Subrahmanian K. The Next Big Thing-Thanjavur:
Treasures. Notion Press; c2020.
4. Pokhriyal'Nishank R. Famous Temples in Tamil Nadu.
Diamond Pocket Books Pvt Ltd; c2023.

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