THE BIG TEMPLE - Brihadishvara Temple, also called Rajarajesvaram or Peruvudaiyār Kōvil.
Brihadishvara Temple, also called Rajarajesvaram or Peruvudaiyār Kōvil, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in South bank of Kaveri river in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the largest South Indian temples and an exemplary example of a fully realized Dravidian architecture.
Inscriptions: Tamil, Sanskrit, Maratha
Area: 18.07 ha (44.7 acres)
Inscription: 1987 (11th session)
Deity: Shiva
Height: 66 m
Architectural style: Dravidian architecture
Architect: Rajaraja I
Address: Membalam Rd, Balaganapathy Nagar, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu 613007
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The Thanjavur or Brihadisvara temple of Thanjavur, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is called the 'Bada Mandir'. The Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur is an excellent example of the temple crafts of India. It is one of the largest temples in India and is an excellent specimen of Chola dynasty architecture.
Brihadeeshwara Temple is a revered temple for Hindus, which they bestow to Lord Shiva (The God of destruction). This temple is one of the largest temples of India, and one of supreme brilliances of Indian architecture. Category : Archaeological site and Southeastern Asian Religious structure of Hindus.
How old is Brihadeeswarar?
1,010
c. 1010
Brihadeeswara Temple/Age
Built in the year 1010 CE by Raja Raja Chola in Thanjavur, the temple is popularly known as the Big Temple. It turned 1000 years old in September 2010.
What is famous Thanjavur?
Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Great Living Chola Temples, which are UNESCO World Heritage Monuments, are located in and around Thanjavur. The foremost among these, the Brihadeeswara Temple, is located in the centre of the city.
How was Tanjore Big Temple built?
The temple is built of 130,000 tons of granite though there was no quarry within a 100-km radius of the temple site. The temple completed 1000 years in 2010 and was built after Vedic structures built by Hindu Kings in Sri Lanka. It is home to the largest Shiv Lingas in India.
Which river flows near Thanjavur?
Cauvery River
Kudamurutti River a tributary of the Kaveri, is one of the five sacred rivers flows in Thiruvaiyaru in the Thanjavur District of the state of Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. Kudamurutti River joins the Cauvery River at Tiruchirapalli.
Why Brihadeshwara Temple is so famous?
This temple is in the thanjavur city. most popular temple in south india. ... Popularly known as as Brihadeeswarar Temple, Rajarajeswaram and RajaRajeshwara Temple, this popular Hindu temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Erected by Raja Raja Chola I, this temple is a wonderful example of Tamil architecture.
Which temple has no shadow in India?
Brihadeeswarar Temple
The Brihadeeswarar Temple That Does Not Cast Shadow. The Brihadeeswarar Temple is one of the temple under UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Brihadeeswarar temple is popularly known as Periya Kovil and PeruvudaiyarKovil temple. The temple has beautiful architecture.
Why is Brihadeshwara Temple misfortune?
They believe that visiting Brihadeshwara Temple in Thanjavur will bring bad luck. In 1984, prime minister Indira Gandhi and chief minister M G Ramachandran went to the temple to unveil a statue of Raja Raja Chola. While the PM was assassinated that year, MGR swooned outside the temple and suffered a stroke.
Is Thanjavur temple incomplete?
A study in Oriental architecture or history is certainly incomplete without a mention of the Tanjore Brihadeeshwara Temple or the Tanjore Periya Kovil (Big Temple). This imposing structure was built by Raja Raja Cholan and his sister Kundavai, both ardent devotees of Lord Shiva.
The construction of the world’s first known and only shallow Shiv temple built by interlocking stones and not by binding them is still a great mystery to the people of world who are devoid of knowledge based on Vedas and ancient Hindu texts. With the blessing of Shiv Shankar Hindu King RajaRaja Chola.
Some of the mysteries of the Thanjavur (Tanjore) big temple are:
Underground passages in Thanjavur 216 feet Temple
Huge cap stone at the top of Thanjavur Shiv Temple
Painting in Thanjavur Big temple
Granite stones used for the Mandir construction
Cutting and carving of Granite stones for Building Shiv Temple
Secret passages in Thanjavur Big temple
Shadow of Thanjavur Shiv Temple
The Tanjore temple is on the top Archaeologist List of top picks for its unsolved mysteries and engineering feats in the 11th -century.
Called the Big Temple, it lies is in the Thanjavur district of Tamilnadu. Built on the banks of the river Cauvery, where the water was diverted to the moat, this temple is made entirely of granite, and it stands tall amidst fortified walls. The closest airports are Tiruchirappalli and Madurai and closest seaport is the Karaikal port.
The Tanjore Temple is an architectural marvel, which stumps historians even today.
How big was the temple built?
8 Astonishing Facts about the Tanjore Temple
The temple is built of 130,000 tons of granite though there was no quarry within a 100-km radius of the temple site.
The temple completed 1000 years in 2010 and was built after Vedic structures built by Hindu Kings in Sri Lanka. It is home to the largest Shiv Lingas in India.
The temple is 216 ft (66-m) tall and has the world’s tallest Vimanam. The Kumbum or spire on top of the Gopuram weighs 80 tons. Placing this single rock at the top of the spire is an unexplained engineering feat even today.
This tall temple tower is made using interconnected stones without the use of binding material, which is unheard of even today. The engineers are still baffled at how such a marvel was achieved in the 11th-century.
The inner sanctum (Garbhagriha) where the Shiva lingam is known to create a large amount of electromagnetic energy. The 80-tonne stone spire helps to conduits the energy inside the temple to keep its piety and spirituality. The positive energy beaming within the temple is said to have a soothing and peaceful effect on the devotees.
The only temple where the tower’s (Gopuram) shadow does not appear on the ground at noon.
A majestic Nandi (bull), that is 5.94 x 2.51 x 3.66 m (19.4 x 8.23 x 12 ft) guards the entrance to the temple. It is the second largest Nandi carved out of a single stone in India.
The deity was originally called Rajarajeshwar, which was later named Brihadeeshwara or the Great Ishwara during the Maratha rule.
