Thanjai Periya Kovil
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Name
|
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Other
names:
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Brihadeeswara Temple
Big Temple |
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Proper
name:
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Peruvudaiyaar Temple
|
|
Tamil:
|
பெருவுடையார் கோயில் / தஞ்சை பெரிய கோவில்
|
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Location
|
|
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Country:
|
India
|
|
State:
|
|
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District:
|
Thanjavur
|
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Location:
|
Thanjavur
|
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Architecture and culture
|
|
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Primary
deity:
|
Lord Shiva
|
|
Important
festivals:
|
Maha
Shivaratri
|
|
Architectural
styles:
|
Dravidian Architecture
|
|
History
|
|
|
Date
built:
(Current structure) |
11th century AD
|
|
Creator:
|
Raja Raja Chola I
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The Peruvudaiyar Kovil, also known as Brihadeeswara Temple,
RajaRajeswara Temple and Rajarajeswaram, at Thanjavur in the Indian state of Tamil
Nadu, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and an art of the work achieved by
Cholas in Tamil architecture. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage
Site "Great Living Chola Temples".
This temple is one of India's most prized architectural
sites. The temple stands amidst fortified walls that were probably added in the
16th century. The vimana or (temple tower) is 216 ft (66 m) high and is among the tallest of its kind in the
world. The Kumbam (Kalasha or Chikharam) (apex or the bulbous structure on the
top) of the temple is carved out of a single stone.
There is a big statue of Nandi (sacred bull), carved out of
a single rock, at the entrance measuring about 16 feet long and 13 feet high.
The entire temple structure is made out of granite, the
nearest sources of which are close to Tiruchchirapalli, about 60 km to the west
of Thanjavur, where the temple is.
Built in 1010 AD[6] by Raja Raja Chola I in Thanjavur,
Brihadeeswarar Temple, also popularly known as the ‘Big Temple', turned 1000
years old in 2010.
History
The temple had its foundations laid out by the Tamil emperor
Arulmozhivarman, popularly called Rajaraja Chola I, (Tamil: இராசராச சோழன்,( Rājarāja Choļan ) in 1002 CE, as the first
of the great Tamil Chola building projects. It was built to grace the throne of
the Chola empire in compliance of a command given to him in his dream.The scale
and grandeur is in the Chola tradition. An axial and symmetrical geometry rules
the temple layout. Temples from this period and the following two centuries are
an expression of the Tamils (Chola) wealth, power and artistic expertise. The
emergence of such features as the multifaceted columns with projecting square
capitals signal the arrival of the new Chola style. The Brihadeeswarar Temple
was built to be the royal temple to display the emperor's vision of his power
and his relationship to the universal order. The temple was the site of the
major royal ceremonies such as anointing the emperor and linking him with its
deity, Shiva, and the daily rituals of the deities were mirrored by those of
the king. It is an architectural exemplar showcasing the pure form of the
Dravida type of temple architecture and representative of the Chola Empire
ideology and the Tamil civilisation in Southern India. The temple "testify
to the brilliant achievements of the Chola in architecture, sculpture, painting
and bronze casting.
Bharathanatyam Yajna
To mark the occasion, the state government organised a
Bharathanatyam Yajna, classical dance show under noted dancer Padma
Subramaniam. It was jointly organised by the Association of Bharatanatyam
Artistes of India (ABHAI) and the Brhan Natyanjali Trust, Thanjavur. To mark
the 1000th year anniversary of the building, 1000 dancers from New Delhi,
Mumbai, Pune, Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Singapore, Malaysia
and the U.S. danced in concert to the recorded 11 verses of divine music
Thiruvichaippa (ninth of Thirumurai) composed by Karuvur Thevar (the guru of
Raja Raja Chola) named Tiruvisaippa. The small town turned into a cultural hub
for two days beginning 26 September 2010 as street performers and dancers
performed throughout the town.
Brihadeeswarar temple gopuram
The Peruvudaiyar Koyil or Brihadeeswarar Temple, also known as Rajarajeswaram, at Thanjavur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is the world's first complete granite temple and a brilliant example of the major heights achieved by Cholas kingdom Vishwakarmas in dravidian temple architecture. It is a tribute and a reflection of the power of its patron RajaRaja Chola I. It remains as one of the greatest glories of Indian architecture. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Great Living Chola Temples
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