The Tanjore Big temple of Thanjavur was called Rajarajeeswaram , the abode of the Lord of Rajaraja Chola or the Temple for Lord Iswara built by Raja Raja Chola the great. With the fall of the Cholas, Thanjavur was resurrected by the Nayaks and Marathas during that time frame the name was Sanskritised and called Brahadeeswara temple.
Today the world knows Rajarajeeswaram as the big temple or Brahadeswara temple, a UNESCO world heritage monument, but what the world does not know is about the round skills of its builder Rajaraja Chola the Great, The architectural intricacies of the temple and the sculptures and arts which have lasted a millennium.
Rajaraja built the Great Temple of Thanjavur and covered the two hundred feet high tower with gold to signal his contribution. The temple survives to this day in its original grandeur. It is a magnificent haven of architecture, sculpture, and paintings.
From the epigraphical evidence, it is known about Rajaraja-I started building this temple in his 19th year and completed it on the 275th day of his 25th year. It took just 6 years to complete this work on 1010 A.D.
Rajaraja-I named this temple Rajarajesvaram and the deity Shiva in Linga form as Peruvudaiyar, the temple is also known in the deity's name as Peruvudaiyarkovil (in the Tamil language). In later periods Maratta and Nayaks rulers constructed various shrines and gopurams of the temple. In a later period when the Sanskrit language was more popular during the Maratha rule the temple was named in Sanskrit as Brihadisvaram and the deity as Brihadisvara. Nowadays it is called Thanjai Periyakovil (Tanjore Big temple).
Visiting THE BIG TEMPLE
The temple is open daily. The sanctum sanctorum opens only during Pooja times. Please check with temple pooja timings.
By Air: The nearest airport is at Tiruchirappalli. Thanjavur is 55kms east of Tiruchirappalli. The next closest airport is at Madurai. It's about 200 km by road.
The Nearest International Airport is Chennai airport. Thanjavur is around 320 km south of Chennai by road.
By Road: Thanjavur is well connected with all the major cities and towns of Tamilnadu including Chennai, Kumbakonam, Tiruchirappalli, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Pondicherry, Coimbatore, and Madurai. And also it is connected with Kochi, Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram, Mysore, and Bangalore.
By Train: There is a Southern Railway junction in Thanjavur. It's well connected with Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, Chennai, Coimbatore, Mysore, Rameswaram, Kumbakonam, Tiruvarur, and Nagapattinam. Please check the timetable of the southern railway.
History
This temple was constructed by the chose king raja raja in the 11 century. So the abode is also called rajarajeswaram.Specialties:
- Very famous for its architectural beauty.
- The Shiva Lingam in the Sanctum Sanctorum and the Nandhi are made out of one stone. They are among the biggest in India.
- It is unfair to describe the vimanam as ‘just tall’, it towers to a whopping height of 216 feet and is bedecked with numerous stucco figures. The gold-covered octagonal dome (Sikharam) that makes up the top portion of the vimanam is made out of a single granite block and weighs 81 tons (81000 kilograms). This block is said to have been drawn by elephants on a specially constructed 6 km long ramp and placed on its granite platform. Another interesting fact to be noted here is that the shadow of the Sikharam never falls on the ground.
Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur: A 107 paragraph long inscription on the walls of the Vimanam records the contributions of Raja Raja Chola and his sister Kundavai to the Thanjavur temple. The temple stands within a fort, whose walls are later additions built in the 16th century. The towering vimanam is about 200 feet in height and is referred to as Dakshina Meru. The octagonal Shikharam rests on a single block of granite weighing 81 tons. It is believed that this block was carried up a specially built ramp built from a site 6 kilometers away from here. Huge Nandis dot the corners of the Shikharam, and the Kalasam on top by itself is about 3.8 meters in height. Hundreds of stucco figures bejewel the Vimanam, although it is possible that some of these may have been added on during the Maratha period. The Shivalingam - Peruvudaiyar, Rajarajeswaramudaiyar - is a huge one, set in a two-storeyed sanctum, and the walls surrounding the sanctum delight visitors as a storehouse of murals and sculpture.