Brihadishwarar Temple

Brihadishwarar Temple

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                  Here something about Brihadishwarar Temple.

                               

The Brihadeshwarar temple was built to grace the throne of the Chola empire by the Tamil emperor Arulmozhivarman, popularly called Rajaraja Chola I, in compliance to a command given to him in a dream. One of the first great Tamil Chola building projects, the temple's foundations were laid out in 1002 CE .  An axial and symmetrical geometry rules the temple layout. Temples from this period and the following two centuries are an expression of the Tamilars 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. Intended 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 example 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. The temple complex sits on the banks of a river that was channelled to make a moat around the complex's outer walls, the walls being built like a fortress. The complex is made up of many structures that are aligned axially. 

The complex can be entered either on one axis through a five-story gopuram or with a second access directly to the huge main quadrangle through a smaller free-standing gopuram. The massive size of the main Vimanam is ca. 60.96 meters high, with 16 elaborately articulated stories, and dominates the main quadrangle. Pilaster, piers(a raised structure), and attached columns are placed rhythmically covering every surface of the Vimanam. The temple stands amidst fortified walls that were probably added in the 16th century. The vimanam is 216 ft  high and is the tallest in the world.

The Kumbam of the temple is carved out of a single rock and weighs around 80 tons.There is a big statue of Nandi, carved out of a single rock measuring about 16 ft long and 13 ft  high at the entrance. The entire temple structure is made out of granite, the nearest sources of which are about 60 km to the west of temple. The temple is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Tamil Nadu .