Brihadeeshwarar Temple - Emperor CHOLA's greatest Magnum Opus

Brihadeeswarar Temple is situated in Thanjavur,in the present day Tamil Nadu.

Can you imagine,that,it has stood for over 1000 years now,braving the vagaries of nature.It was commissioned by Emperor Raja Raja Chola 1 and was finished within about 5 years.A temple so massive and awe inspiring,is a masterpiece in Dravidian architecture.And there were no granite quarries in the nearby region,and it had to be transported to the site (approx 1,30,000 tons of Granite was consumed)using thousands of elephants and horses,is a mammoth task,a thought,which is baffling people all over the world.Especially placing the Vimhana,the bulbous granite kalasha on top of the temple,at a height,of 216 feet,which itself weighs around 80 tonnes,is a master stroke in Chola's expertise,passion and dedication for temple construction and architecture.

The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva.It is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Thanjavur can be easily reached by air,bus and train and the nearest access point is Tirucharapalli.

Never before or never again,will a temple of such magnitude,scale,design will ever be constructed.And please remember that it was erected a thousand years ago,when there were no cranes,lorries,lifts or modern technology.

The best time to visit the temple,would be during monsoon or winter,when the fields will be lush green and fresh.

Friends,happy journey to one of the greatest temple classics of all time