Brihadeeswarar Temple

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
"Rajarajeswaram" redirects here. For the Shiva temple in Taliparamba, Kerala, see
Rajarajeshwara Temple.

Brihadeeswara Temple
Peruvudaiyaar Kovil UNESCO World
Heritage Site

104658N 790754E10.78278N
Coordinates: 79.13167ECoordinates: 104658N
790754E10.78278N 79.13167E

Name

Brihadeeswara Temple
Other names:
Big Temple

Proper name: Peruvudaiyaar Temple

/
Tamil:

Location

Country: India

State: Tamil Nadu

District: Thanjavur

Location: Thanjavur

Architecture and culture

 Primary deity: Lord Shiva

Important
Maha Shivaratri
festivals:

Architectural
Dravidian Architecture
styles:

History

Date built:
11th century AD
(Current structure)

Creator: Raja Raja Chola I

The Peruvudaiyar Kovil, also known as Brihadeeswara Temple, RajaRajeswara Temple

and Rajarajeswaram,[1] at Thanjavur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is a Hindu temple
dedicated to Shiva and an art of the work achieved by Cholas in Tamil architecture. The
temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Great Living Chola Temples".[2]

This is the largest temple in India[3] and 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 (temple tower) is 216 ft (66 m) high[4] and is among the tallest of its kind in the
world. The Kumbam (Kalasha or Chikharam) (apex or the bulbous structure on the top) of the
temple is carved out of a single stone and it weighs around 80 tons.[5]

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 granite, the nearest sources of which are close to
Tiruchchirapalli, about 60 km to the west of Thanjavur, where the temple is.

Built in 1010 AD[7] by Raja Raja Chola I in Thanjavur, Brihadeeswarar Temple, also
popularly known as the Big Temple', turned 1000 years old in 2010.

Contents
[hide]

1 History
o 1.1 Construction
2 Temple complex
o 2.1 Main temple
o 2.2 Temple Deities
o 2.3 Adjoining structures
o 2.4 Myths
o 2.5 Features
o 2.6 Murals
 o 2.7 Temple personnel
3 Millennium celebrations
o 3.1 Bharathanatyam Yajna
o 3.2 Commemorative stamps and coins
o 3.3 Brihadeeswarar Temple in historic novels
4 In News
5 Travel information
6 Gallery
7 See also
8 Notes
9 References
10 External links

History[edit]

An inscription at the temple

The temple had its foundations laid out by the Tamil emperor
Arulmozhivarman, popularly called Rajaraja Chola I,
(Tamil: , Rjarja Choan ?) in 1002
CE, as the first of the great Tamil Chola building projects.[8] It
was built to grace the throne of the Chola empire 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.[9] 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.[10] 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 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 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 temple "testify to the brilliant
achievements of the Chola in architecture, sculpture, painting
and bronze casting."[11]
Construction[edit]

Statue of Rajaraja Chola Chola I who consecrated the temple

The wish to build a mammoth temple like this is said to have occurred to Raja Raja while he
stayed at Sri Lanka as an emperor.

The esteemed architect and engineer of the temple was Kunjara Mallan Raja Raja
Perunthachan as stated in inscriptions found at the temple. The temple was built per ancient
texts called Vaastu Shastras and Agamas. He is the ancient ancestor of the doyan of Vaastu
Vedic architecture, the late Dr. V. Ganapti Sthapati of Chennai and Mahabalipurim (architect
of the 133' granite Thiruvalluvar statue at the tip of south India). Members of his family still
live and practice the ancient art and science. The American University of Mayonic Science
and Technology was initiated by Dr. V. Ganapati Sthapati to perpetuate the same form of
architectural principles used by Kunjara Mallan Raja Raja Perunthachan to build the
Brihadeeswarar temple. The temple was built using a measure of 1 3/8 inch called an angula
(24 units equaling 33 inches called a hasta, muzam, or kishku).
This temple is the first building fully built by granite and finished
within 5yrs[1004AD 1009AD]. The solid base of the temple raises
about 5 metres (16 feet), above which stone deities and
representatives of Shiva dance.[12] The huge kalasam or Vimanam (top
portion of the shrine) is believed to weigh 81.28 tonnes was of 8
blocks and was raised to its present height by dragging on an inclined
plane of 6.44 km.[13] 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.[13] The presiding deity of lingam is 3.7m tall. The
prakaram (outer precincts of the temple) measures 240m by 125m.[13]
The outer wall of the upper storey is carved with 81 dance karanas
postures of Bharathanatyam, the classical dance of Tamil Nadu.[13]
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.[13]

"The Twilight View of the Big Temple, Thanjavur, Oct 2012"

The temple does not have shadows, as it is built in such a way.

Temple complex[edit]
Temple entrance

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 meters high,
with 16 elaborately articulated stories, and dominates the main
quadrangle. Pilaster, piers, and attached columns are placed
rhythmically covering every surface of the Vimanam .[14]

The rich architecture of the Temple

The gopuram of the main entrance is 30 m high, so smaller than the vimana. It is unusual in
the dravidian architecture where the gopurams are generally the main towers and taller than
the vimana.[15]

Main temple[edit]

This picture was taken from the left corner of the temple (behind the temple). The staircase
which is small in picture will lead you to darshan of God Dakshinamurthy.
Entrance to upper storey of main tower
The Big Temple in Tanjore

A first rectangular surrounding wall, 270 m by 140 m, marks the outer boundary.[15] 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 bays and recesses. Each side
of the sanctuary has a bay emphasising the principle cult icons.[9] 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.
The word Karuvarai means "womb chamber" from Tamil word karu for foetus. Only priests
are allowed to enter this inner-most chamber.[16]

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.[10] 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.[9] The royal bathing-hall where Rajaraja
the great gave gifts is to the east of the hall of Irumudi-Soran.

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 the gods.[14]

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.[9]