Brihadeeswara Temple of Thanjavur and its - Architecture, Sculptures and Inscriptions.
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| Brihadeeswara Temple Aerial View from Right Behind Side |
Architecture:-
Now let's talk about its architecture, which is the biggest marvel here. The chief architect of this temple was Rajaraja Perunthachan, who was very famous for his craft at that time. This temple has been built directly on the ground without any strong foundation, which is a very strange thing in itself.
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| Rajaraja Perunthachan and Brihadeswara Temple, Thanjavur |
According to the calculations of some archaeologists and Engineers, this temple is made of about 1,30,000 granite blocks, which were made without any mortar or cement are simply stacked one on top of the other. This technique is also called the puzzle technique.
The cutting of these granite stones was done in such a way that they fit together like a notch. Surprisingly, there is no trace of granite rocks within 60 km radius of the construction site of the temple. Due to this the source and transportation method of the stones used in this temple remains a mystery even today. The summit of this temple, which is called “Vimana” in the South, is counted among the highest peaks of South India.
It's "Kumban" i.e. Crown of the Temple is about 80 tones. Keeping it above the temple must have been the result of amazing planning and tremendous execution. It is believed that about 6 km of the ramp was built which went from the ground to the temple top. With the help of elephants and balls on this ramp, this heavy stone (Vimana) must have been carried upwards.
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| Kumban, Capstone of Temple, Vimana & Process to carried out the Kumban to the top of the temple. |
You will not find any pillar inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. It is completely hollow from the inside, which suggests that it must have been constructed by placing blocks one on top of the other.
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| Sanctum orGrabhgarah |
You can read:- Brihadeeswara Temple - Thanjavur- Geography and Historical Background.
The temple has three main entrances, on which very beautiful carvings have been done, one of these gates is Maratha Gate. In the late 17th century AD, when the Maratha Empire was rising, they had made their reach to Thanjavur. Apart from this, the Marathas also made many paintings here which are still intact. According to some historians, the Marathas also used this temple as a fort, the evidence of which we get from the cannons placed on the outer walls.
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| Maratha Gate of Brihadeeswara Temple, Thanjavur, India |
Sculptures and Inscriptions:-
Many inscriptions have been found on the premises of this temple, which tell about the Chola Empire at that time, as well as wall paintings from the time of Rajaraja I. In 1930, a local historian studied the murals here and found that these murals belonged to the “Nayaka period”. Out of all these murals, there is also a mural of Lord Shiva in which Lord Shiva is riding a chariot and which is being driven by Lord Brahma.
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| Murals in Brihadeeswara Temple #Maratha Empire |
There are also images of Lord Buddha inside the temple, which shows the presence of Buddhism in South India at that time. And this also gives us an idea of the temples & patron rulers being tolerant. There is also a monolithic statue of Lord Shiva vehicle Nandi outside the temple which is about 12 feet high. The intricate and artistic carvings make it more attractive.
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| Nandi Bhagwan Shiva's Vahan in front of Brihadeeswara Temple |
There are also statues of Bhagwan Bhairav, Mata Durga, Mata Saraswati, Bhagwan Ganesh, Bhagwan Vishnu, and many other deities inside it. Apart from all this, there is also a depiction of more than 100 postures of Bharatanatyam in this temple that the later rulers have added. It is believed that the sculptures of Nataraja i.e. Shiva as the lord of dance were also commissioned for the first time at this place. It was about the aspects of the idols.
Mythological Aspects and Mysteries:-
Many interesting stories and interesting facts are associated with this temple, such as many architects think that despite being such a huge plane, why the shadow of this plane does not fall on the ground.
The other interesting thing is that a remarkable feature of the temple is that the various structures of the temple have been constructed in the fashion of multiples of 9. Like 108 Shivlings, 9 Main Pillars, 18 Dadwarpals of 18 feet, etc.
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| Sculptures, Pillers, Ashokan Edicts etc of Brihadeeswara Temple |
It is often seen that with time, multi-story buildings standing on the ground become crooked. As in Italy the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but 0 degrees in the case of Brihadeswara Temple. Which means its structure is still very straight.
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| Brihadeeswara Temple standing with 0 degrees even after 1000 years |
Due to these characteristics, Brihadevara Temple in Thanjavur UNESCO along with 2 more temples Brihadevara Temple in Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Airavatesvara Temple in Darasuram have been given the tag of UNESCO World Heritage Site. And he got the tag of the collectively, The Great Living Chola Temples.
Other Information:-
The temples group is one of the most visited places in Tamil Nadu. It is looked after by the Archaeological Survey of India. The authenticity of this temple complex is undisputed. This question must be arising in your mind why are they called Living Temples?. So, friends, the main reason for calling them Living Temples is the continuity in the Temple Tradition. Even today the rituals and rituals of worshiping in these three temples are maintained. These traditions are definitely 1000 years old but it is an inseparable part of the faith of the people here. The Daily, Weekly, and Yearly Celebrations that take place here serve to establish a bridge between man and God
Friends, it would not be wrong to say about Thanjavur Temple that "Whatever good things we build, end up building us".
