The Brihadisvara temple (also spelled Brahadeeswarar temple) is an ancient Hindu temple located at Thanjavur in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. This 10th century CE temple, one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, is a brilliant example of the Dravidian style of temple architecture. The central temple known as the Periya Koil (Big Temple) stands within a fort, whose walls are later additions built during the 16th century. The main tower of the temple is about 70 m high. A Hindu (archaic Hindoo) is an adherent of philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, the predominant religious, philosophical and cultural system of India (Bharat), Nepal, and the island of Bali. ... Thanjavur, also known as Tanjore, is a city in Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. ... Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 10th century was that century which lasted from 901 to 1000. ... The Common Era (CE), also known as the Christian Era and sometimes the Current Era, is the period of measured time beginning with the year 1 until the present. ... UNESCO logo The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, commonly known as UNESCO, is a specialized agency of the United Nations system established in 1945. ... Elabana Falls is in Lamington National Park, part of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves World Heritage site in Queensland, Australia. ... The Dravidian Race is the name sometimes still given to the peoples of southern and central India and northern Sri Lanka who speak Dravidian languages, the best known of which are Tamil (தமிழ்), Telugu (తెలుగు), Kannada and Malayalam. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... The metre (Commonwealth English) or meter (American English) (symbol: m) is the SI base unit of length. ...

Rajagopuram (main tower) of the temple

The crown itself is very large and heavy (nearly 30 tonnes) and till a few years back was thought to be carved out of a single stone. However during one of the cleaning efforts it was found to be in two pieces. The task of carrying this huge crown to a height of 70 m is another feat worth mentioning. In order to do this a inclined plane of sand was built from a distance of nearly 11 km. The place where this scaffold began is called the Sarap pallam ("Scaffold Pit"). Image File history File links Download high resolution version (784x1156, 140 KB) Gopuram (main tower) of the w:Brihadisvara temple, located in Thanjavur, India. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (784x1156, 140 KB) Gopuram (main tower) of the w:Brihadisvara temple, located in Thanjavur, India. ... This article deals with the physical structure. ... Patterns in the sand Sand is an example of a class of materials called granular matter. ... A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer) (symbol: km) is a unit of length equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words khilia = thousand and metro = count/measure). ...

The Brihadisvara temple was built by the great Tamil ruler, Rajaraja Chola I of the Chola dynasty. In the twenty-fifth year of Rajaraja Chola (1009–1010 CE), on the 257th day of the year the king handed over the copper pot for the final decoration atop the Vimana. It weighed about 107 kg, and was overlaid with gold plate of the weight of 292.5 Kalanju (nearly 13 kg). The main deity worshipped the temple is Śiva, in the usual form of a linga. A statue of Rajaraja Chola I at Thanjavur Rajaraja Chola I is considered the greatest of all Cholas. ... The Cholas were the most famous of the three dynasties that ruled ancient Tamil Nadu. ... Events February 14: First known mention of Lithuania, in the annals of the monastery of Quedlinburg. ... Events The Ly Dynasty in Vietnam is established (or 1009). ... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... It has been suggested that Gold bar be merged into this article or section. ... This article is about the Hindu God. ... Linga worship (Estate of Cynthia and Harlen Welsh) Lingam or Linga is the Sanskrit word for mark. ...

The Śivalinga of Sri Brihadisvara is probably the grandest in existence. This image was originally called Adavallan (Expert Dancer). Another name was Dakshina Meru Vitanken. Both the names occur in Thiruvisaipa as the names of the deity at Chidambaram. This possibly indicates that the Śaiva creed derived its support at the time mainly from Chidambaram. Rajaraja Chola calls the image Rajarajeswaramudaiyar (The Lord of Rajarajeswaram). The tower over the shrine is named Dakshina Meru after the abode of Lord Śiva at Kailasa. Chidambaram is a town of India, in the South Arcot district of Tamil Nadu, 11 km from the coast and 240 km south of Chennai by rail. ... Kailasa (also called Kailash) is believed to be the home of Lord Shiva by Hindus, and is a pilgrimage site. ...

A remarkable feature of the temple is the great Nandi (stone bull). The Nandi that figures at the entrance is immense in size (a popular belief is that it is growing by the day), and the ceiling of its enclosure is decorated with frescoes in the typical painting style of Thanjavur. Fresco by Dionisius representing Saint Nicholas. ...

The tall Rajagopuram of the temple also found use as a survey platform during the measurement of the Great Arc, by the Survey of India under William Lambton. The Great Theodolite used during the Survey of India was damaged in a fall from the roof, and its carefully calibrated plates were bent. This instrument was later repaired at Trichy. Each millennium had thrown up passion for doing something unique. ... The Survey of India is Indias central agency in charge of mapping and surveying. ... William Lambton (1756-1823) was a British soldier, surveyor, and geographer. ... Each millennium had thrown up passion for doing something unique. ... Tiruchirapalli (also spelled Tiruchchirappalli, commonly known as Tiruchi or Trichy, formerly known as Trichinopoly under British rule) is a city situated on the banks of the Kaveri river, centrally located in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. ...

An ornamented pillar in the temple courtyard

The Nandi, with the main Gopuram in the background

Frescoes on the enclosure roof

Entrance to the Brihadisvara Temple

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (752x1188, 130 KB) Ornamented pillar at w:Brihadisvara temple, India. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (752x1188, 130 KB) Ornamented pillar at w:Brihadisvara temple, India. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (779x1140, 134 KB) Nandi (temple bull) & Gopuram (tower) at w:Brihadisvara temple, India Photo created (scanned & GIMPed) : January 2005 Photo taken : May 2004 Photographer : Amar File links The following pages link to this file: Brihadisvara Temple User:AmarChandra ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (779x1140, 134 KB) Nandi (temple bull) & Gopuram (tower) at w:Brihadisvara temple, India Photo created (scanned & GIMPed) : January 2005 Photo taken : May 2004 Photographer : Amar File links The following pages link to this file: Brihadisvara Temple User:AmarChandra ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (794x1190, 173 KB) Nandi (temple bull) & a ceiling fresco at w:Brihadisvara temple, India Photo created (scanned & GIMPed) : January 2005 Photo taken : May 2004 Photographer : Amar File links The following pages link to this file: Brihadisvara Temple User:AmarChandra ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (794x1190, 173 KB) Nandi (temple bull) & a ceiling fresco at w:Brihadisvara temple, India Photo created (scanned & GIMPed) : January 2005 Photo taken : May 2004 Photographer : Amar File links The following pages link to this file: Brihadisvara Temple User:AmarChandra ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2409x1622, 1497 KB)Front Entrance to Brihadisvara Temple Photo created (scanned & GIMPed) : 26 September 2005 Photo taken : 24 September 2005 Photographer : Navendu File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2409x1622, 1497 KB)Front Entrance to Brihadisvara Temple Photo created (scanned & GIMPed) : 26 September 2005 Photo taken : 24 September 2005 Photographer : Navendu File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old...

See also

• Thanjavur
• Hindu temple architecture
• Śiva

That the shadow of the crown never falls on the ground is popular belief but not a fact. Experts including Dr.Kalaikovan of Dr.Rajamanickanar institute attest to this. At around 3 P.M IST you can see the shadow near Nandi Mandapam. Thanjavur, also known as Tanjore, is a city in Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. ... Temple architecture in the Hindu tradition is connected to astronomy and sacred geometry. ... This article is about the Hindu God. ... Agra Fort is located in Agra, India. ... Ajanta takes the name after the village Ajinţhā in Aurangabad district in the state of Maharashtra(N. lat. ... Bhimbetka is a place in Madhya Pradesh where the earliest known traces of human life in India were found. ... Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (better referred to by its acronym CST) - is a historic railway station on Mumbai suburban railway. ... The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, nicknamed Toy Train, is a 60cm narrow-gauge railway from Siliguri to Darjeeling in the state of West Bengal in India. ... Carvings line the walls inside the caves. ... Jain cave in Ellora Ellora is an ancient village 30 km from the city of Aurangabad in the Indian state of Maharashtra. ... Fatehpur Sikri is a 16th-century capital city built by the Mughal emperor Akbar on a rocky outcrop near the city of Agra in India. ... Hampi (Hampe in Kannada) is a village in northern Karnataka, India. ... Kaziranga National Park is situated on the south bank of the Brahmaputra river in Assam, India. ... Khajuraho is a city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, located about 385 miles (620 kilometres) southeast of Delhi, the capital city of India. ... Mahabalipuram (also known as Mamallapuram) is a 7th century port city of the South Indian dynasty of the Pallavas around 60 km south from the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu. ... The Mahabodhi Temple is a Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya, the location where Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, attained enlightenment. ... A typical Nilgiri train on the rack section The Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) connects the town of Mettupalayam with the hill station of Ooty (correctly Udhagamandalam), in the Nilgiri Hills of southern India. ... Pattadakal is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka famous for its group of monuments that comprise of initial experiments in Hindu temple architecture. ... The Qutub Minar and surrounding ruins. ... Sanchi is a small village of India, located 46 km north east of Bhopal, in the central part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. ... COUNTRY India - (West Bengal) NAME Sundarbans National Park IUCN MANAGEMENT CATEGORY I (Strict Nature Reserve) X (World Heritage) BIOGEOGRAPHICAL PROVINCE 4. ... The Taj Mahal This article is about the Indian monument. ... Ganges River Delta, Bangladesh and India The Sundarbans delta is the largest mangrove forest in the world. ... Vijayanagara (often written Vijayanagar, meaning the city of victory), in northern Karnataka, is the name of the now ruined capital city of the historic Vijayanagara empire in the Southern part of India. ...