Brihadisvara temple, Tamil Nadu

This temple is a perfect illustration of the great heights achieved in the field of architecture by the Chola rulers. It is a homage paid to Lord Shiva and is a display of power of Raja Raja Chola I. The temple is formed of 130,000 tons of GRANITE.

Granite is the best-known igneous rock. The rock is rich in quartz and feldspar; it is the most common plutonic rock of the Earth’s crust, forming by the cooling of magma at depth. The looks obtained from using this stone are versatile. Granite can withstand heat up to 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. Granite is a highly durable siliceous stone. Many of the lighter granite do need to be sealed because the crystals are larger.

Brihadeeswarar Temple is also widely known by name of ‘Big Temple’. This temple completed its 1000 years in the year 2010. The temple is fortified. A long associated myth with this temple temple is that the shadow of the main structure does not fall on the ground. However, this has been proven wrong by scientists. Brihadeeswarar temple, also known as the Tanjore big temple expounds the number of alphabets in Tamil by the distance and height it is designed. The statue of Nandi at the entrance of the temple is carved out of a single stone.

The lingam is often represented as resting on disc shaped platform called a linga on a peetham. An elliptical figure placed atop a circular base called ‘peedam’ also called as “Peetham”.

MODE OF TRANSPORTATION-

1) BY AIR

The nearest airport to Brihadeeshwar Temple is the Tiruchirapalli Airport (65 kms).

2) BY ROAD

Thanjavur can be easily accessed from the nearby cities through bus. There are frequent government and private buses running to Thanjavur throughout the day.

3) BY RAIL

Thanjavur is the nearest railhead tothis temple.