‘THE BRIHADISVARA TEMPLE, TAMIL NADU’

Author – (aastha jadoun)

IN TAMIL NADU, A TEMPLE FAMED FOR SIZE AND DETAIL HAS MYSTIFIED ARCHAEOLOGISTS
AND INSPIRED LEGENDS.IN SOUTHEAST INDIA, IN THE CITY OF THANJAVUR IN THE STATE OF
TAMIL NADU, SITS A MASSIVE TEMPLE SPOTTED EASILY FROM EVEN A MILE OR TWO AWAY.
THE BRIHADISVARA TEMPLE WAS BUILT UNDER RAJA RAJA CHOLA, A CHOLA EMPEROR
RULING OVER ANCIENT TAMIL NADU, PARTS OF WHAT IS NOW SRI LANKA, AND MUCH OF
WHAT WAS MALAYA FROM 985 TO 1014 AD. A VISION FOR THE TEMPLE CAME TO HIM IN A
DREAM WHILE VISITING CEYLON (SRI LANKA), AND HE ORDERED IT BUILT IN HONOR OF HIS
REIGN, WHICH WAS SEEN AS A VICTORIOUS ONE NEEDING A GRAND TEMPLE TO MATCH THE
LARGE SIZE OF THE EMPIRE. AT 216 FEET AT ITS HIGHEST POINT AND CARVED COMPLETELY
OF GRANITE, IT TOOK 12 YEARS TO COMPLETE. IT WAS FINISHED IN 1011 AD AND IS
DEDICATED TO SHIVA.

BRIHADISVARA TEMPLE IS PART OF A GROUP OF CHOLA-ERA TEMPLES DESIGNATED AS A

WORLD HERITAGE SITE. EACH OF “THE GREAT LIVING CHOLA TEMPLES” IS BUILT IN A
SIGNATURE TAMIL ARCHITECTURE STYLE–HIGH WALLS, A FORT-LIKE ENTRANCE, A MOAT
(THAT IS NO LONGER THERE), SEPARATE ROOMS INSIDE, LONG CORRIDORS, AND PAINTINGS
OF SHIVA ON THE WALLS. THOUGH IT SHARES SIMILARITIES WITH THE OTHERS, THE
BRIHADISVARA TEMPLE STANDS OUT AMONG THE GROUP FOR ITS SIZE AND ARCHITECTURAL
MYSTERIES.
HISTORIANS AND ARCHAEOLOGISTS HAVE LONG WONDERED HOW EXACTLY THE TEMPLE
WAS BUILT. THERE’S NO GRANITE TO BE FOUND ANYWHERE NEARBY–NOT FOR AT LEAST 50
MILES. YET THE TEMPLE IS FORMED OF 130,000 TONS OF IT, OFTEN HUGE GIANT PIECES OF IT
THAT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANY HUMAN TO MOVE. THERE IS NO BINDING MATERIAL,
ONLY INTERLOCKING STONE–SOMETHING NEVER FOUND IN TALL BUILDINGS TODAY. PLUS,
IT’S INTRICATELY CARVED, WHICH IS A DIFFICULT FEAT CONSIDERING GRANITE IS SUCH
HARD ROCK. FINALLY, THERE IS A HUGE NANDHI (THE GATE GUARDIAN OF SHIVA,
RESEMBLING A BULL) IN FRONT OF THE TEMPLE CARVED OUT OF ONLY ONE PIECE OF STONE.

THE MAHALINGAM—THE STONE ON TOP OF THE TOWER—WEIGHS 80 TONS AND MEASURES

23 FEET AROUND AND 9 FEET HIGH. LEADING UP TO IT ARE 14 STORIES OF INTRICATELY
SCULPTED IMAGES. WITHOUT CRANES, A LONG RAMP WAS MADE LEADING UP TO THE
TOWER, AND ELEPHANTS HAULED THE STONE UP TO THE TOP, ASSISTED BY MEN WITH
ROPES. MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THE BALL WAS PLACED ON TOP TO DISPEL BAD
ENERGY AND TO HELP POSITIVE ENERGY REVOLVE AROUND THE TEMPLE, KEEPING THOSE IN
IT PIOUS AND GRATEFUL. THE FLOW OF VEDIC ENERGY IS MEANT TO BE CALMING FOR
WORSHIPPERS, AND THOSE WHO COME TO WORSHIP AT THE TEMPLE WALK IN A CLOCKWISE
CIRCLE THROUGHOUT IT. ACCORDING TO TOUR GUIDES ANOTHER POPULAR LEGEND IS THAT
HINDU SAGES RECITED A VEDIC MANTRA THAT LEVITATED THE STONE TO THE TOP OF THE
THE BULL-SHAPED NANDHI THAT SITS OUTSIDE OF THE TEMPLE IS A 12-FOOT-HIGH, 19-FOOT-
LONG, 18-FEET-WIDE CARVED PIECE OF STONE WEIGHING 25 TONS. MYTH SAYS IT THAT IT
KEPT GROWING IN SIZE, AND PEOPLE FEARED IT WOULD OUTGROW THE SMALL PAVILION
WHERE IT SITS. SO, THEY PUT A NAIL INTO THE BACK OF IT, AND THE GROWING STOPPED.

[AUTHOR IS BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE 2ND YEAR, STUDENT AT LOVELY

PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY, JALANDHAR, PUNJAB]