The Brihadeeshwara Temple of Thanjavur, known reverentially as Thanjai Periya Kovil, stands as the greatest architectural triumph of the Chola dynasty and one of the most astonishing monuments in world heritage. Built between 1003 and 1010 CE under the patronage of Raja Raja Chola I, it was completed in just twelve years—an achievement remarkable for a structure of such scale, mathematical precision, and artistic complexity. Conceived as a grand tribute to Lord Shiva, the temple is not merely a shrine but a statement of imperial might, technological mastery, and spiritual symbolism. The complex is laid out in a vast rectangular courtyard approximately 790 feet by 400 feet, raised on a plinth that elevates the temple visually and symbolically above the surrounding landscape. Also called Rajarajeswaram, the temple's foundations were first laid in 1002 CE. The architect and engineer of the temple was one "Kunjara Mallan Raja Raja Rama Perunthachan."
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Thanjavur big temple.Image Source: everscoop.com/jranand
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Big temple, Thanjavur. Hard rocks with holes for splitting. quora.com
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Above image: Hard rocks of different sizes were mined and sized
according to requirements by partly using controlled explosi
ons and transported to the temple sites, using
trained elephants. The other explanation is that sizing was done by drilling holes with chisel, putting
holes into them and then pouring water into them. It is explained that after some time the rock block
breaks. This method suggested here is
'rock
weathering' caused by alternating freezing and thawing of water and is not tenable here.
Above image: A UNESCO recognized heritage site, constructed 1008 years ago with solid hard rock - mostly granite and granite related rocks and gneisses.
The temple plan follows an axial alignment to monolithic Shivalinga in the sanctum -one of the largest in India and weighs 20 tons. This sanctum supports one of the tallest stone vimanas in India, soaring to about 208 feet. The tower consists of sixteen tiers and sits on a square base of about 99 feet per side. The crowning element—the shikhara—was carved from a single block of granite estimated to weigh nearly eighty tons. Transporting and raising this monolith without modern machinery remains one of the great engineering mysteries of medieval India. Local tradition holds that a several-kilometer-long earthen ramp was built, and elephants hauled the stone to the summit.
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| wirally.com |
Above image: Thanjavur big temple. Comparison of pairs of nandis atop shikara with a nandi in the prakara......
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| Thanjavur big temple flagpole bottom part.alamy.com |
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| Thanjavur big temple flagpole bottom part.alamy.com |
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Thanjavur big temple flagpole bottom part (copper)
near nandi mandapam team-bhp.com
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Nandi mantap, and tower behind. Big temple, Thanjavur.ndianvagabond.com
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Nandi mantap, Big temple, Thanjavur.ndianvagabond.com
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A UNESCO recognized heritage site, constructed 1008 years ago with solid hard rock - mostly granite and granite related rocks and gneisses. the temple complex unfolds in a sequence of monumental spaces. Facing the sanctum is the
Nandi Mandapam, containing a massive monolithic Nandi carved from a single stone and weighing about twenty-five tons. This sculpture is among the largest stone Nandis in India, and its polished finish is so smooth that it appears metallic under sunlight. Between the Nandi pavilion and the sanctum lies the
Mukha Mandapam and
Maha Mandapam, once alive with ritual, music, dance, and royal ceremonies. Colonnades, dwarapalas, and intricate sculptures line these halls, while murals on the corridor walls depict episodes from
Shaivite lore and scenes from courtly life. Some of the finest surviving
Chola-period frescoes are found here, painted in natural pigments more than a millennium ago.
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| Outer covered parkara Bigtemple wirally.com |
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ornate pillars. Thanjavur big temple dreamstime.com
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covered outer prakara, Thanjavur big temple,
dreamstime.com
 | | Building of Thanjavur big temple. Transportation of rock blocks. haribhakt.com/ |
Aboveimage: The entire tower right from the foundation to the top is not at all solid as many think of. Surprisingly, inside the tower, it is hollow just an empty space. The secret here is semi interlocking beautifully....... |
The temple is exceptional for its exclusive use of granite, even though no major granite quarry exists near Thanjavur. This implies massive logistical planning and a skilled workforce of sculptors, masons, and engineers. The structure employs interlocking stone construction, nearly mortar-free, showing extraordinary precision. The courtyard is ringed by a pillared cloister nearly 450 metres in length, allowing devotees to perform pradakshina. The heat reflected from the enclosure floor and the towering vimana creates an intense microclimate, reinforcing the temple’s sense of power and presence
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big temple, Thanjavur openings for cannons outer wall.
isharethese.com
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Above image: The fortification was done in the 18th century; in 1777
the French colonial forces added gun-holes on the outer boundary walls of the temple with the temple serving as an arsenal.
Over centuries, succeeding dynasties—Pandyas, Nayakas, and Marathas—renovated and expanded the complex. Shrines for Parvati, Subramanya, and Ganesha were added in alignment with the main axis. Numerous inscriptions in Tamil and Grantha record donations, land grants, temple rituals, festivals, and even details of the artisans who worked here. Despite invasions and periods of neglect, the monument endured, earning UNESCO World Heritage status in 1987 as part of the “Great Living Chola Temples.”
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.entrance towers, inside view big temple
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| Inside Amman shrine,Big Temple, .tripvaani.com |
Even today, Brihadeeshwara Temple is not a silent relic. Every Maha Shivaratri, the courtyards resound with music, classical dance, and thousands of lamps. More than 1,000 years after its completion, Thanjai Periya Kovil remains a masterpiece of sacred geometry, imperial vision, and artistic brilliance—an eternal testament to what Indian civilization achieved long before the modern age.
Tit-Bits:
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.Idols of Raja Raja 1 and queen Logamadeviyar .dtnext.in
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Above image: The 11th century CE bronze idols that were stolen about 60 years ago from the big temple, Thanjavur were recovered by the IDOL wing of the police, Tamil Nadu Government in May 2018 led by IG Pon Manickavel. The idol of Raja Raja Chola I measuring two and a half feet in height was valued at more than Rs 100 crore and the two-foot tall idol of his queen, Logama Deviyar, was valued at Rs 50 crore. After several legal and correct identification bottlenecks, the team found out the idols were stolen by one-time temple officials. Later they were sold to Gautam Sarabhai in Chennai by Rao Bahadur Srinivasa Gopalachari of Sarukkai village in Thanjavur former Dewan of Travancore who owned the idols......
https://navrangindia.blogspot.com/2020/02/brihadeeswara-temple-thanjavur-tn_10.html
https://www.thedecorjournalindia.com/brihadeshwara-temple-know-as-thanjai-periya-kovil
https://wirally.com/10-mind-blowing-facts-about-brihadeeswara-temple-the-1000-years-of-cholas-engineering-marvel
https://famoustemplesofindia.com/brihadeeswarar-temple-chola-architecture
https://navrangindia.blogspot.com/2016/03/eleven-myths-of-1000-year-old-big.html
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