Brihadeeshwarar Temple

Description

Hand drawn pen and ink illustration of Brihadeeshwarar temple (otherwise known as Thanjavur Periya Kovil)  | Thanjavur Tamil Nadu.

Brihadishvara Temple is a Shaivite Hindu temple built in a Chola architectural style located on the south bank of the Cauvery river in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the largest Hindu temples and an exemplar of Tamil architecture.

History & Architecture

It was built by Chola emperor Rajaraja I between 1003 and 1010 CE. The original monuments of this 11th-century temple were built around a moat. It included gopura, the main temple, its massive tower, inscriptions, frescoes, and sculptures predominantly related to Shaivism, but also of Vaishnavism and Shaktism. The temple suffered damages in its history and some artwork is now missing. Additional mandapam and monuments were added in the centuries that followed. The temple now stands amidst fortified walls that were added after the 16th century.

Built using granite, the vimana tower above the shrine is one of the tallest in South India. The temple has a massive colonnaded prakara (corridor) and one of the largest Shiva lingas in India. It is also famed for the quality of its sculpture, as well as being the location that commissioned the brass Nataraja, Shiva as the lord of dance, in the 11th century.

The complex includes shrines for Nandi, Parvati, Murugan, Ganesha, Sabhapati, Dakshinamurti, Chandeshvara, Varahi, Thiyagarajar of Thiruvarur, Siddhar Karuvoorar and others. The temple is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Tamil Nadu.

Other Names:

• Rajarajesvaram (Lord of Rajaraja) – Called by Rajaja Chola
• Thanjai Periya Kovil (Thanjavur Big Temple) – Known locally in Thanjavur
• Dakshina Meru (Meru of the South)

Recognition

UNESCO World Heritage sites – https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/250/

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brihadisvara_Temple

Links for reading:

https://www.tamilnadutourism.tn.gov.in/destinations/brihadeeswara-temple

https://thanjavur.info/thanjavur-tourism/brihadeeswarar-temple-thanjavur/

 

Note – The watermark shown on the image is precautionary to avoid illegal downloads. It will not feature in the artwork that is sold.