Tanjore Brihadisvaram Temple

Tanjore big temple is an epoch-making, historically tremendous monument imposing the great exclusive art gallery dedicated to Lord Shiva. Rajaraja created an era of grandeur and glory for the dynasty of Chola. The emperor established the specimen of a splendid period of South Indian history as the most beautiful evidence of Tamil architecture at its best. The emperor Rajaraja established and named the historic monolithic notable deity as Rajarajesvaram Udaiya Paramasami. The remarkable inscriptions of this temple reveal the exclusiveness of royal touch in each breath taking sculptures, paintings and architecture. The Royal temple symbolizes the prominence of tanjore as the capital of Chola Empire. The main temple of the place is now called “Brihadisvaram” or “Big Temple”.
The enormous archetypal excellence gained a paradigmatic style in art, religion and literature, which has never reached again in succeeding ages. The Chola king Rajaraja can legitimately claim to have laid the laid the real base for the glory and longevity for the empire. The historic tanjore city occupies its place within the big fort and the Brahadisvaram by moats.

The present fortifications and the moats were formed by the Nayak rulers of tanjore during the 16th Century. Though the temple was named as Rajarajesvaram by Rajaraja, now it is called “Brahadisvaram” in Sanskrit and Peruvudaiyar Koil in Tamil. At the ruling period of Maratta’s during 17th to 19th centuries the name Brahadisvaram was popularized. The present fortification and mots were formed by the Nayak rulers of tanjore during the 16th century. The vast big temple occupies an area measuring 800’x 400’.The vast inner courtyard of the temple is 500’x 250’ and it is surrounded by a cloister. An aesthetic sense of conversant with a unique mode of architecture and epigraphical records are at once struck by the unique personality of the royal King Rajaraja.He followed the height of devotion, patronage of arts and catholicity of outlook as no one could make it ineradicable. Almost all the major inscriptions record the King’s personal participation in the affairs of the temple. The king Rajaraja had the royal control by directly issuing orders over the temple. The overall administration was in the hand of a very high officer or “Aditan Suriyan”alias Tenavan, Muvendavelan. The chief Saiva acharya (priest) of the temple was Bavana Pidaran. A point of great interest is the mention of the royal architect and his assistants, who obviously designed and built the temple. Their names recorded are Kuncharamallan alias Rajarajaperumta Niltavinota Perum Taccan and Gandaratita Perumtaccan. The function of Kuncharamallan is called Tacca Caryam- superintending Architect. The Rajarajesvaram thus was an out and out royal temple, built and controlled by the emperor and his army and officers. The sculptures, painters and designers had left their imprints in every aspect of the temple and made at the same time, all people imbibe a sense of belonging to the temple.

At the entrance of the “Big Shiva Temple” there are two magnificent giant “Gopuras”, widely separated from each other. The first Gopura Keralaanthakan Tiruvayil has five tiers. The second Gopura Rajarajan Tiruvayil has three tiers. Apart from these two main gates, there are four more small gateways without Gopuras in the Thiruccurrumaalikai.In the courtyard, the tallest granite structure Srivimana stands gigantic near the mahamandapa.In the northern side of Srivimana is the original Chola structure of Chandikesvara shrine. During thirteenth century Pandiya ruler contributed the Devi shrine in front of the Mahamandapa Nayak kings added the latest addition of Nandimandapa and the Subramanya shrine, Serfoji a Maratta ruler contributed to his part by the Ganapati shrine in the southwest Prakara during 1801 A.D. The temple is famous for its innumerous Sivalingas.In the enclosure Mandapa of this temple there are 36 sub shrines (Parivaralayas) and icons made of bronze. In front of the Subramanya shrine there lays Nataraja mandapa or the Murti Ammal mandapa and the Mallappa Nayakar Mandapa are the contribution of Nayak period during the sixteenth century. The two gateways, Keralaanthakan Tiruvayil (First gateway) and Rajarajan Tiruvayil (Second gate) of this temple has massive tiered structure with Salas, rides and Karnakudus in each tier (Tala) perched in a high stone masonry foundation which has raised upapita element and an adhistana with many mouldings.The first gate measures about 90’x 55’ in the base and its entrance is about 15’ wide. The lower portion upto the middle of the second floor is of stone (Granite), the upper parts are of brick plaster and Stucco. There are two massive single stone door jambs of granite with 5’x5’ square and a height of 40’facing north and to the south there are two sub-shrines in the first floor which is dedicated to Dakshinamurti and Brahma.