Brihadeeswarar Temple

Coordinates: 104658N 790754E

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Brihadeeswarar Temple (locally known as "Big temple") is

a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located in Thanjavur Brihadeeswarar Temple
in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is also known as
RajaRajeswara Temple Rajarajeswaram and Peruvudayar
Temple.[1] It is one of the largest temples in India and is an
example of Dravidian architecture during the Chola period.[2]
Built by Raja Raja Chola I and completed in 1010 CE, the
temple turned 1000 years old. The temple is part of the
UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Great Living Brihadeeswarar Temple aka Big temple at Thanjavur
Chola Temples", with the other two being the in Tamil Nadu. Built by Raja Raja Chola 1 and
Brihadeeswarar Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram and completed in 1010 AD. Temple turned 1000 years
Airavatesvara temple.[3] old. Government of India released a 1000 rupee coin
with picture of Big temple in it to mark this
The temple stands amidst fortified walls that were probably
achievement. The temple is a part of the UNESCO
added in the 16th century. The vimanam (temple tower) is
198 ft (60 m) high and is one of the tallest in the world. The World Heritage Site known as the 'Great Living
Kumbam (the apex or the bulbous structure on the top) Chola Temples'
weighs around 80 tons.[4] There is a big statue of Nandi
(sacred bull), carved out of a single rock measuring about
16 ft (4.9 m) long and 13 ft (4.0 m) high at the entrance.[5]
The entire temple structure is made out of granite, the nearest
sources of which are about 60 km to the west of temple. The
temple is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Tamil
Nadu.[6]
Brihadeeswarar
Temple

Contents
1 History
1.1 Architecture
2 Temple complex
2.1 Main temple
2.2 Temple Deities Location in Tamil Nadu
2.3 Adjoining structures
2.4 Features Name
2.5 Murals Other names Peruvudaiyar Kovil
2.6 Temple personnel Brihadeshwaran Temple
3 Millennium commemoration Big Temple
3.1 Bharathanatyam Yajna
3.2 Commemorative stamps and coins Geography
4 Culture Coordinates 104658N 790754E
5 Car festival
6 See also Country India
7 Notes State Tamil Nadu
8 References
9 External links District Thanjore
Location Thanjavur
Culture
History Primary deity Shiva
Important festivals Maha Shivaratiri

Thanjavur Brihadeeswara Temple
Entrance
The temple was built to Architecture
grace the throne of the
Architectural styles Tamil architecture
Chola empire by the
Tamil emperor History and governance
Arulmozhivarman, Date built 10th century AD
popularly called
Creator Raja Raja Chola I
Rajaraja Chola I, in
compliance to a UNESCO World Heritage Site
command given to him
Criteria Cultural: (ii), (iii)
in a dream.[5] One of the
first great Tamil Chola Reference 250-001
building projects, the Inscription 1987 (11th Session)
temple's foundations
were laid out in 1002 [edit on Wikidata]
CE.[7] An axial and
symmetrical geometry rules the temple layout.[8] Temples from this period
and the following two centuries are an expression of the Tamilars (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]

Intended 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 anointing the emperor and linking him with its deity, Shiva, and
the daily rituals of the deities were mirrored by those of the king. It is an architectural example 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 temple "testifies the brilliant achievements of the Chola in
architecture, sculpture, painting and bronze casting."[10]

Architecture

The architect and engineer of the temple was Kunjara Mallan Raja Raja
Rama Perunthachan as stated in inscriptions found at the temple. The solid
base of the temple raises about 5 metres (16 feet), above which stone
deities and representatives of Shiva dance.[11] The big Nandi (bull),
weighing about 20 tonnes is made of a single stone and is about 2 m in
height, 6 m in length and 2.5 m in width.[12] The image of Nandi is a
monolithic one and is the second largest in the country next only to the one
at Lepakshi temple.[13] The presiding deity of lingam is 3.7m tall. The
prakaram (outer precincts of the temple) measures 240m by 125m.[12] The
outer wall of the upper storey is carved with 108 dance karanas postures
of Bharathanatyam, the classical dance of Tamil Nadu.[12] The shrine of
Goddess was added by Pandyas during the 13th century, Subramanya
Shrine by Vijayanagara rulers and the Vinayaka shrine was renovated by
Maratha rulers.[12] There were significant additions from the Thanjavur Statue of Rajaraja Chola Chola Iwho
consecrated the temple
Nayaks.[14]

Temple complex
The temple complex sits on the banks of a river that was channelled 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 Vimanam
(Shikhara) is ca. 60.96 meters high, with 16 elaborately articulated stories, and dominates the main quadrangle.
Pilaster, piers(a raised structure), and attached columns are placed
rhythmically covering every surface of the Vimanam.[15] The gopuram of
the main entrance is 30 m high, smaller than the vimana. It is unusual in
the Dravidian architecture where the gopurams are generally the main
towers and taller than the vimanam.[16] It is classified as Perunkoil (also
called Madakkoil), a big temple built on a higher platform of a natural or
man-made mounds. Literary evidence is found in Tamil works, which refer
the temple as Perunkoil.[17]

Main temple

A first rectangular surrounding wall, 270 m by 140 m, marks the outer

boundary.[16] 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 levels by sharply cut sculptures and pilasters providing deep Tamil writings and sculptures at right
bays and recesses. Each side of the sanctuary has a bay emphasising the side of Thanjavur Brihadeeswara
principle cult icons.[8] The karuvarai, a Tamil word meaning the interior of Temple Gopuram
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. The word Karuvarai means "womb chamber" from Tamil word karu
for foetus. Only priests are allowed to enter this inner-most chamber.[19]

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
Carved figures on temple wall
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 royal bathing-hall where
Rajaraja the great gave gifts is to the east of the hall of Irumudi-Soran.

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. Pagoda at Tanjore, India (1847)[18]

Temple Deities

The Presiding deity of the temple is [20]Shiva in the form of Lingam (an iconic representation) is 8.7 m (29 ft)
high, making it one of the largest.[13] All deities, particularly those placed in the niches of the outer wall
(Koshta Moorthigal) like Dakshinamurthy, Surya, Chandra are of huge size. The temple is one of the rare
temples which has idols for "Ashta-dikpaalakas" (Guardians of the directions) Indra, Agni, Yama, Nirti,
Varua, Vyu, Kubera, na each of whom was originally represented by a life-sized statue, approximately 6
feet tall, enshrined in a separate temple located in the respective direction. (Only Agni, Varua, Vyu and na
are preserved in situ.)

Adjoining structur es
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.

Features

A widely held belief is that the shadow of the Vimana never falls on the ground. .[21] However, several
photographs exist showing the shadow on the ground.[22] The temple is said to be made up of about 60,000
tons of granite. The capstone itself is made of four pieces of granite and weighs about 20 tons.,[23] on top of the
main gopuram is believed to have been taken to the top by creating an inclined slope to the height of 66m to the
top of the gopuram.

Murals

The temple has Chola frescoes on the walls around the sanctum sanctorum
potryaing Shiva in action, destroying demonic forts, dancing and sending a
white elephant to transport a devotee to heaven.[11] These frescoes,
discovered in the 1940s by S. K. Govindasami of the Anamalai University,
portray the mythological episodes of the journey of Saint Sundarar and the
Chera King to heaven, the battle scene of Tripurantaka (Lord Siva) with
Asuras (demons).[24] The Chola artists have proved their mettle by
portraying even the Asura women with a sense of beauty.[24] Some of the
paintings in the sanctum sanctorum and the walls in the passage had been
damaged because of the soot that had deposited on them once upon a time.
Owing to the continuous exposure to smoke and soot from the lamps and
burning of camphor in the sanctum sanctorum over a period of centuries
certain parts of the Chola paintings on the circumambulatory passage
walls had been badly damaged.[24] The Tanjore Nayak kings replaced
them with a few paintings of their own, about 400 years ago.[24] The
Archaeological Survey of India, for the first time in the world, used its
unique de-stucco process to restore 16 Nayak paintings, which were This mural representing Rajaraja and
superimposed on 1000-year-old Chola frescoes.[24] These 400-year-old his guru.
paintings have been mounted on fibre glass boards, displayed at a separate
pavilion.[24]

Temple personnel

Since its consecration in 1010 AD by Raja Raja Chola I, the temple

maintained a staff of 1000 people in various capacities with 400 being
temple dancers[12] Besides the Brahmin priests, these included record- Mural at Brihadeeswarar
keepers, musicians, scholars, and craftsman of every type as well as temple,Tanjavur. This is painting
housekeeping staff. In those days the temple was a hub of business style that evolved in the town
activities for the flower, milk, oil, and ghee merchants, all of whom made
a regular supply of their respective goods for the temple for its poojas and
during festival seasons. Moreover, as evidenced by the inscriptions that found in the compound wall of this
temple, the temple had always served as a platform for dancers who excelled in the traditional dance form of
Bharatnatyam.[25]

Millennium commemoration
Built in the year 1010 CE by Raja Raja Chola in Thanjavur, the temple popularly known as the Big Temple. It
turned 1000 years old in September 2010. To celebrate the 1000th year of the grand structure, the state
government and the town held many cultural events. It was to recall the 275th day of his 25th regal year (1010
CE) when Raja Raja Chola (9851014 CE) 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.[26][27][28]

Bharathanatyam Yajna

To mark the occasion, the state government organised a Bharathanatyam

Yajna, classical dance show under noted dancer Padma Subramaniam. It
was 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, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala,
Singapore, Malaysia and the US danced in concert to the recorded 11
verses of divine music Thiruvichaippa (ninth of Thirumurai) composed by
Karuvur Thevar (the guru of Raja Raja Chola) named Tiruvisaippa. The
small town turned into a cultural hub for two days beginning 26 September
2010 as street performers and dancers performed throughout the
town.[29][30]

Commemorative stamps and coins

One of the 108 dance postures
On 26 September 2010 (Big Temple's fifth day of millennium
celebrations), as a recognition of Big Temple's contribution to the country's
cultural, architectural, epigraphical history, a special 5 postage stamp
featuring the 216-feet tall giant Raja Gopuram was released by India Post.

The Reserve Bank of India commemorated the event by releasing a 5 coin with the model of temple
embossed on it.[31][32] A Raja, Cabinet Minister of Communications and Information Technology released the
esteemed Brihadeeswarar temple special stamp, the first of which was received by G K Vasan, Cabinet Minister
of Shipping.

Mumbai Mint issued Rs 1000 Commemorative Coin with the same picture as on the Rs 5 coin. It was the first
1000 Rupees coin to be released in the Republic of India coinage. This coin was a Non Circulative Legal
Tender (NCLT).[33]

On 1 April 1954, the Reserve Bank of India released a 1000 currency note featuring a panoramic view of the
Brihadeeswar temple marking its cultural heritage and significance. In 1975, the then government led by Prime
Minister Indira Gandhi demonetised all 1,000 currency notes in an effort to curtail black money. These notes
are now popular among collectors.[34]

In 2010, the then Tamil Nadu chief minister, M Karunanidhi renamed Semmai Paddy, a type of high
productivity paddy variant, as Raja Rajan-1000 to mark the millennial year of the constructor of the temple,
Raja Raja Cholan.[35]

Culture
The temple finds mention in many of the contemporary works of the period like Muvar Ula and
Kalingathuparani. The temple believed to have emerged as a centre of social, economical and political
activities. Cultural activities like music, dance and art in the form of bronzes were encouraged and staged in the
temple.[36]
Experts believe that the Dravidian architecture attained its supreme form of expression in the temple and it
successor, the Brihadeeswarar Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram.[37] The temple is declared as a heritage
monument and administered by the Archaeological Survey of India as a protected monument. The temple is
one of the most visited tourist attractions in Tamil Nadu.[6] The temple is declared a CE UNESCO World
Heritage Site, along with the Brihadeeswara Temple at Gangaikondacholapuram and Airavatesvara temple at
Darasuram that are referred as the Great Living Chola Temples.[16] The temple was added to the list of Great
Living Chola Temples in the year 2004. All of the three temples were built by the Cholas between the 10th and
12th centuries CE and have a lot of similarities.[38][39] The temples are classified as "Great Living Chola
temples" as the temples are alive in cultural aspects and worship practises in modern times.[40]

Kalki, a renowned Tamil novelist, has written a historical novel named Ponniyin Selvan, based on the life of
Raja Raja Chola I.[41] Balakumaran, another Tamil author has written a novel named Udaiyar themed on the
life of Raja Raja Chola I and the construction of the temple.[42]

Car festival
The Temple car was rolled out on its trial run from opposite to Sri Ramar temple on 20 April 2015 witnessed by
a large number of people.[43] Nine days later, the maiden procession of the temple car was held, with the deity's
idols on top on 29 April 2015. This was the first such procession in this temple held in the past hundred
years.[44]

See also
Raja Raja Chola I
Chola Dynasty

Notes
1. South Indian Inscriptions Vol II, Part I & II
2. Keay, John (2000). India, a History (https://boo
ks.google.com/books?id=3aeQqmcXBhoC).
New York, United States: Harper Collins
Publishers. pp. xix. ISBN 0-00-638784-5.
3. "Tanjavur Periya Kovil Tamil Nadu" (http://tam
ilnadu.com/temples/tanjavur-periya-kovil.html).
Tamilnadu.com. 5 December 2012.
4. "The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)" (htt
p://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_cholabt.asp).
5. Encyclopaedia of Political Parties By Ralhan,
O. P.
6. Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam, ed. India
through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry
of Information and Broadcasting, Government
of India. p. 185.
7. "The Chola Dynasty 300 B.C. to 1250 A.D." (ht
tp://www.kamat.com/kalranga/deccan/cholas.ht
m). kamat.com. Retrieved 22 January 2008.
8. Thapar 2004, pp.43, 5253
9. Mitchell 1988, pp. 145148
10. "Great Living Chola Temples" (http://whc.unesc
o.org/en/list/250). UNESCO. Retrieved
21 January 2008.
11. Man 1999, p. 104
12. Various 2007, pp. 6566
13. V., Meena (1974). Temples in South India (1st
ed.). Kanniyakumari: Harikumar Arts. pp. 23
24.
14. Branfoot, Crispin. "Imperial Frontiers: Building
Sacred Space in Sixteenth-Century South
India". 90 (2). The Art Bulletin: 185.
JSTOR 20619601 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/
20619601). via JSTOR (subscription required)
15. Ching 2007, pp. 338339
16. "Great Living Chola Temples" (http://whc.unesc
o.org/en/list/250/). UNESCO World Heritage
Centre. 2004. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
17. Reddy, G.Venkatramana. Alayam - The Hindu
temple - An epitome of Hindu Culture.
Mylapore, Chennai: Sri Ramakrishna Math.
p. 31. ISBN 978-81-7823-542-4.
18. "Pagoda at Tanore, India" (https://books.google.
com.au/books?id=S1wEAAAAQAAJ&printsec
=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=
0#v=onepage&q&f=false). Wesleyan Juvenile
Offering. IV: 132. December 1847. Retrieved
17 November 2015.
19. "Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent
Glossary" (http://www.indoarch.org/arch_glossa
ry.php). Retrieved 24 January 2007.
20. anamalai
21. "Strong ground to dismiss popular belief" (htt
p://www.hindu.com/lf/2004/03/30/stories/20040
33001340200.htm). The Hindu. Chennai, India.
30 March 2004.
22. Kumar, Vijay. "Does the Tanjore Big Temple
Vimana cast a shadow?" (http://poetryinstone.i
n/lang/en/2008/12/17/does-the-tanjore-big-temp
le-vimana-cast-a-shadow). Poetry in Stone.
Retrieved 1 October 2015.
23. Balasubramaniam, Kudavayil. Rajarajecharam.
24. "ASI restores 400-year-old paintings" (http://w
ww.hindu.com/fr/2003/02/28/stories/200302280
1300600.htm). The Hindu. Chennai, India. 28
February 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
25. Written in stone Big Temple's inscriptions
reveal a King's passion (http://www.thehindu.co
m/arts/history-and-culture/written-in-stone-big-t
emples-inscriptions-reveal-a-kings-passion/artic
le793145.ece), T.S. Subramanian, CHENNAI,
24 September 2010, The Hindu
26. BBC News augue (25 September 2010). "India's
Big Temple marks 1,000th birthday" (http://ww
w.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11406440).
Retrieved 25 September 2010.
27. PS. R. Balasubrahmanyam (1971), Orient
Longman Publications. "Early Chola
temples:Parantaka I to Rajaraja I, 907985
A.D".
28. Ananthacharya Indological Research Institute
(1984), Rja Rja, the great:seminar
proceedings
29. Rediff News. "India's Biggest Temple turns
1000-years" (http://news.rediff.com/slide-show/
2010/aug/16/slide-show-1-indias-biggest-templ
e-turns-1000-years.htm). Retrieved 20 August
2010.
30. Subramanian, T. S. (1 August 2010). "A grand
dance spectacle at the Thanjavur Big Temple"
(http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-na
du/article544804.ece). The Hindu. Chennai,
India. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
31. Deccan Herald (26 September 2010). "Stamp,
coin release mark 1,000 years of Big Temple"
(http://www.deccanherald.com/content/99918/st
amp-coin-release-mark-1000.html). Retrieved
26 September 2010.
32. "Release of a special postal stamp and a five-
rupee coin" (http://www.hindu.com/2010/09/27/
stories/2010092759620100.htm). The Hindu.
Chennai, India. 27 September 2010. Retrieved
27 September 2010.
33. "Release of Commemorative Coin" (http://ww
w.mumbaimint.in/mint/Noticeapril.pdf) (PDF).
3 July 2012.
34. Express Buzz, The Indian Express (26
September 2010). "INR 1000 note of 1954
popular in Tanjavur" (http://newindianexpress.c
om/states/tamil_nadu/article478148.ece).
Retrieved 27 September 2010.
35. MSN News (26 September 2010). "Semmai
Paddy as "Raja Rajan-1000" " (http://news.in.m
sn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=44
24908). Retrieved 27 September 2010.
36. Vipul, Singh (2009). Longman Vistas 7 (https://
books.google.co.in/books?id=J-1gxbsTLPkC&p
g=PA14&dq=gangaikonda+cholapuram&hl=en
&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiiycqL7bLJAhVCA44
KHTIpCHcQ6AEIODAF#v=onepage&q=gang
aikonda%20cholapuram&f=false). Pearson
Education India. pp. 1415.
ISBN 9788131729090.
37. Roma Chatterjee, ed. (2016). India Art and
Architecture in ancient and medieval periods.
New Delhi: Publications Division, Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting, Government of
India. p. 32. ISBN 978-81-230-2080-8.
38. Ayyar, P.V. Jagadisa (1993). South Indian
Shrines. New Delhi: Asian Educational
Services. p. 316. ISBN 81-206-0151-3.
39. T., Ramakrishnan (7 July 2004). "World
Heritage Site status for Airavatesvara Temple"
(http://www.hinduonnet.com/2004/07/07/storie
s/2004070704810500.htm). The Hindu.
Retrieved 28 November 2015.
40. Srinivasan, Pankaja (4 June 2012). "Inside the
Chola Temple" (http://www.thehindu.com/featu
res/friday-review/history-and-culture/inside-the-
chola-temple/article3490256.ece). Coimbatore:
The Hindu. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
41. A., Srivathsan (19 October 2011). "Age hardly
withers charm of Ponniyin Selvan" (http://www.
thehindu.com/books/age-hardly-withers-charm-
of-ponniyin-selvan/article2550847.ece).
Chennai: The Hindu. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
42. "Special Coin to Remember Rajendra Chola" (h
ttp://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chenna
i/Special-Coin-to-Remember-Rajendra-Chola/2
014/02/04/article2036004.ece). Express News
Service. Chennai: The New Indian Express. 4
February 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
43. Trial run of Big Temple car, Rolls; out after 100
years; maiden run on April 29, (http://www.theh
indu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/trial-run-of-
big-temple-car/article7124357.ece?ref=tpnews)
The Hindu, 21 April 2015
44. Big temple chariot festival held after 100 years,
(http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-
nadu/big-temple-chariot-festival-held-after-100-
years/article7156283.ece?mstac=0) The Hindu,
30 April 2015
References
Ching, Francis D.K. (2007). A Global History Thapar, Binda (2004). Introduction to Indian
of Architecture. New York: John Wiley and Architecture. Singapore: Periplus Editions.
Sons. pp. 338339. ISBN 0-471-26892-5. pp. 43, 5253. ISBN 0-7946-0011-5.
Mitchell, George (1988). The Hindu Temple. Various (2007). Tourist Guide to Tamil Nadu.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 145 Chennai: Tourist Guide to Tamil Nadu.
148. ISBN 0-226-53230-5. ISBN 978-81-7478-177-2.
Man, John (1999). Atlas of the Year 1000.
United Kingdom: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-
7946-0011-5.
Thapar, Binda (2004). Introduction to Indian
External links
Stamps issued by India Post
Photos on art-and-archaeology web site
Unesco Great Living Chola Temples
Information about Brihadisvara Temple in Hindi
Information about Eagle Temple in Hindi
Top 10 Famous Historical Places in India

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