Brihadeeswarar Temple
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| Brihadeeswarar Temple | |||
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| Name: | Brihadeeswarar Temple | ||
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| Creator: | Raja Raja Chola | ||
| Date built: | 10th century AD | ||
| Primary deity: | Brihadeeswarar(Shiva) | ||
| Architecture: | South Indian, Kovil | ||
| Location: | Thanjavur | ||
The Brihadeeswarar temple (Tamil: பிருஹதீஸ்வரர் கோவில்) (also spelled Brihadeshvara Temple) is an ancient Hindu temple located at Thanjavur in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. This 10th century CE temple, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Great Living Chola Temples", is a brilliant example of the Dravidian style of temple architecture. The central temple known as the Periya Kovil (Big Temple) stands within a fort, whose walls are later additions built during the 16th century. The name periya kovil came from its original name "periya aavudayar kovil" (aavudayar being a local name of Lord Shiva). The vimana (main tower) of the temple is about 70 m high and is the tallest in the world. It was so designed that the vimana never casts a shadow at noon at any part of the year.[citation needed]
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[edit] Description
The shikaram (crown), an octagonal, carved cupola, itself is very large and heavy (81.25 tonnes) and (until a few years back) was thought to be carved out of a single stone. However during one of the cleaning efforts, it was found to be in two pieces. The task of carrying this huge crown to a height of 70 m is another feat worth mentioning. In order to do this, an inclined plane of sand was built from a distance of nearly 11 km. The place where this scaffold began is called the Sarap pallam ("Scaffold Pit").[citation needed]
The Brihadeeswarar temple was built by the great Tamil ruler, Rajaraja Chola I of the Chola dynasty. In the twenty-fifth year of Rajaraja Chola (1009–1010 CE), on the 257th day of the year, the king handed over the copper pot for the final decoration atop the Vimana. It weighed about 107 kg and was overlaid with gold plate of the weight of 292.5 Kalanju (nearly 13 kg). The main deity worshipped the temple is Śiva, in the usual form of a linga.[citation needed]
The Shivalinga of Sri Brihadeeswarar is probably the grandest in existence. The 9 foot high structure is probably the largest Shiva linga structure in the world[1][2]
. This image was originally called Adavallan (Expert Dancer). Another name was Dakshina Meru Vitanken. Both the names occur in Thiruvisaipa as the names of the deity at Chidambaram. This possibly indicates that the Śaiva creed derived its support at the time mainly from Chidambaram. Rajaraja Chola calls the image Rajarajeswaramudaiyar (The Lord of Rajarajeswaram). The tower over the shrine is named Dakshina Meru after the abode of Lord Śiva at Kailasa.[citation needed]
A remarkable feature of the temple is the great Nandi (stone bull). The Nandi that figures at the entrance is immense in size (a popular belief is that it is growing by the day), and the ceiling of its enclosure is decorated with frescoes in the typical painting style of Thanjavur. The Nandi weighs 27 tonnes and is probably the largest in the world and said to be installed later in the 16th Century. [2].
The tall Rajagopuram of the temple also found use as a survey platform during the measurement of the Great Arc, by the Survey of India under William Lambton. The Great Theodolite used during the Survey of India was damaged in a fall from the roof, and its carefully calibrated plates were bent. This instrument was later repaired at Trichy.[citation needed]
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[edit] History
The temple was commissioned by King Rajaraja who ruled from Thanjavur. It was built between 1003 to 1010 and is the greatest of Chola temples. In many ways the temple is typical of the south Indian or Dravidian style of architecture. The temple is dedicated to Lord Brihadeeswarar, a manefestation of Shiva.[3]
[edit] Temple
The temple is approached from the East via two gopuras or gateways, flanked by two huge guardian figures with various Shaiva legends represented in the carvings below. The shrime tower is thirteen stories tall. The exterior is decoration with hundreds of painted stucco sculptures. In the interior, the inner sanctum contains a massive Shiva lingam that is the object of devotion. The inner gopura is the Brihadeeswarar temple which has a circle of sea monster heads topped by a protective monster mask. Plaster sculptures on the roof were added later. The dome topping the sanctuary is carved out of a single large stone weighing 81 tons.[4]
The temple compound includes a Chandeshvara shrine with octagonal dome, a Nandi pavillion, a porch with overhanging eve, a mandapa or columned hall, an antechamber, and a towered sanctuary, and other, smaller shrines. Most Shiva temples and shrines have a sculpture of Nandi, Shiva's mount, who faces the linga enshrined within the temple. The columned porch fronts the columned hall which leads to the sanctuary. A colonade is built along the outer enclosure wall surrounding the temple complex..[5]
In the sanctuary niches in the walls contain finely carved figures of Shiva and other gods. Dancing Shive figures cover one wall.
[edit] References
- ^ Tanjore temple - A grandeur in architecture.
- ^ a b Featured Temples - Thanjavur Periya Koil.
- ^ Brihadeeswarar Temple. Retrieved on 2006-09-14.
- ^ Brihadeeswarar Temple (11th century). Retrieved on 2006-09-14.
- ^ Temple compound. Retrieved on 2006-09-14.
[edit] External links
- Brihadeeswarar Temple
- Photos
- Photos of Thanjavur Periya Kovil
- Brihadeeswarar Temple travel guide from Wikitravel
[edit] See also
| Famous Shiva temples |  |
|---|---|
| Kailash Mansarovar • Kashi • Kedarnath • Amarnath • Madurai • Rameswaram • Kanchipuram • Chidambaram • Thiruvannamalai • Kalahasti • Thiruvanaikaval • Thanjavur • |
