1000 Yrs & Still Standing TALL

History of Chola Temple

The greatest of Chola emperors Rajaraja-I (985 A.D - 1012 A.D) the son of Sundara Chola (Parantaka-II) and Vanavan mahadevi built this magnificent temple named Brihadisvaram at Thanjavur Tamil Nadu, India - the capital of Chola dynasty.

It took just 6 years to complete this work on 1010 A.D. This is covered by a vimanam that extends to 216 feet. It is built with stones that are bonded and notched without any mortar. The topmost stone, an engineering marvel, weighs about eighty tons.

The Brihadeeswarar temple is Cholas masterpiece. It is declared as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO under the “Great Living Chola Temples” along with the other Cholan marvels such as the Airavateeswarar Temple and the Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple in Tamilnadu, India.

This 216 feet high structure is made of whopping 130,000 tons of granite. Considering the fact that there are no mountains or any rock formations for nearly 80 km around Tanjore city, it still puzzles the historians and the architects, the means by which these many tons of granite was brought to the site. How come these rocks ended up here? Some say a group of 3000 elephants were used to carry these granites from far off lands.

An inscription on the north wall of enclosure, dated 1011 CE, gives a detailed accounts of people employed and supported by the temple. The inscription gives their wages, roles and names. It includes over 600 names including those of priests, lamp lighters, washermen, tailors, jewelers, potters, carpenters, sacred parasol bearers, dance gurus, dancing girls, singers, male and female musicians, superintendents of performance artists, accountants among others. Their wages were in parcels of land, so their temple employment was likely part-time.

Another surprising fact about this intricate architecture is the technique used in building it. The whole structure is made by the interlocking method, which means one rock kept over the other. There is literally nothing between the stones, no cement or any kind of adhesives. Fascinating, isn’t it? There is more coming. You know the very foundation of this gigantic structure is made without digging a single grain of sand and yet is so strong that it kept the whole temple straight with 0 inclination for more than 1000 years.

Some lesser known facts about the temple include:

• The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is also known for its historical, cultural, and architectural significance.

• The temple's main sanctum is dedicated to Lord Shiva and houses a massive lingam (aniconic representation of Lord Shiva) that is over 12 feet tall.

• The temple's tower, or vimana, is over 216 feet tall and is one of the tallest of its kind in the world.

• The temple also has some unique architectural features, such as a large number of sculptural decorations and an underground chamber that contains a large number of sculptures.

• The temple's compound also houses several smaller shrines, mandapas (hall) and two huge Nandi (bull) statues.

• The temple was built using granite, and it is said that the king imported the granite from a quarry as far away as 80km.

• The temple also has inscriptions in Tamil, describing the king's life and the temple's construction.

• The temple complex also includes a 1000-pillared hall, which is an architectural marvel and a testimony to the engineering skills of the Cholas.

It's one of the most visited religious place of South India Tamilnadu. Make a visit to the Big Temple in Tamilnadu and see for yourself. Admire the brilliance of our ancestors while you explore and enjoy this architectural wonder on Earth.