Emperor Arulmozhivarman, popularly known as Raja Raja I was the founder of the magnificent Brihadeeswara Temple. History says that the king got the idea of this temple in a dream in which God instructed him to build the temple as a symbol of the grandeur of the Tamil king, his wealth and culture. The temple was built within a very short time of 5 years. The king wanted it to be a symbol of his power and vision.

The temple was then the place where all the royal ceremonies would take place, especially festivals of Lord Shiva. This temple is the perfect example of Indian culture, especially the ancient Chola designs. The architecture is broadly based on symmetric and geometrical patterns. This can be seen from the number of columns and square motifs build within the temple. This Dravidian temple is a showcase of brilliant achievements of the Chola Empire in the fields of architecture, sculpture, painting and bronze casting.

According to scriptures, the very talented engineer and architect behind this monument was Kunjara Mallan Raja Raja Perunthechan. He made all the designs based on the studies of ‘vaastushastra’. This temple made of granite has-

• A solid base on which stands Shiva figures in various dance postures.
• To enhance the beauty of this temple, there is a big roof portion which is said to have been built with a single piece of stone.
• The upper portion of the temple is designed with 81 structures of Bharatnatyam dancers, the classical dance of Tamil Nadu.
• The goddess shrine was later constructed by the Pandyas, the Subramanya Shrine by Vijaynagara rulers and the Vinayaka Shrine by Maratha rulers. The ‘Nandi’ or the famous statue of the bull is an important attraction here.
• The temple was built like a fortress with an exclusive design. The structures here are aligned in a decreasing order of height.
• The complex has two different entrances, one big and another is small.
• The main tower is huge in size. It has beautiful art and scriptures inscribed on it.
• The shortest tower or ‘vimana’ has an unusual design unlike the other taller ones.
• The main temple is at the centre of the open quadrangle area. There are statues, an assembly hall and a pillared hall.
• The most important hall is the innermost one. This is divided into levels with sharp crafts. The statues of important icons of that time are sculpted on the walls here. The ceiling also is decorated with mesmerizing paintings.
• Beneath the hall there is another room which is said to be the worship place of Lord Shiva.
• The outer path leads to another hall which comprises of rectangular rooms with as many as 20 columns.
• The outer gateway is adorned with 400 pillars with stunning paintings.
• The whole temple has beautiful Chola frescoes on the walls around. There are portraits of Shiva in action, battles of Gods and Demons, the stories of the white heavenly elephants and other kings also.

The prime deity here is Lord Shiva and the other temples are for huge figure of Gods such as Dakshinamurthy, Surya and Chandra. This is the only temple which has the idols of the ‘gods of Directions’ namely- Indra, Agni, Yama, Nirti, Varuna, Vayu, Kuber and Isana.

• Visit as early as possible because it gets crowded.
• Other Contact: +91 25360294
• Entry to the innermost hall is strictly prohibited for people other than priests of the temple.
• Photography is allowed without any extra charge.
• People treat the day of the ruling star every month to be holy here.
• The annual festival is held in May every year in which people bathe their deities in fragrant water. It is an amazing sight.
• The best time to visit the temple is between the months of October and March. The weather is pleasant during this time.
• The place is very well connected with all major roadways of Trichi, Chennai, Kumbakonam, Pudukkottai, Tirunelveli, Karur, Nagapattinam, Coimbatore and Erode.

• There is a special ticket of Rs. 5.00 on Sundays for speedy entry.

• The nearest airport is Tiruchirappalli Airport
• The nearest railway station is Thanjavur railway station

• Sathar’s
• Raja’s Curry
• Mohal Biryani
• Thevar’s Biryani
• Mullai

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