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Brihadeshvara Temple (built 11th century)

Brihadeshvara temple was commissioned around the year 1000 by King Rajaraja "King of Kings" of the Chola kingdom (r. 985 - 1013), whose rule was based in Thanjavur. The temple is dedicated to Lord Brihadeshvara, a manefestation of Shiva. In many ways the temple is representative of the south Indian (a.k.a. Dravadian) style of architecture: Its main feature is a pyramid-shaped "vimanam", or tower, that consists of many horizontal layers of stone that taper closer to the top, forming the characteristic profile of Dravadian architecture. Vertically the vimanam is organized by pilasters that break up the facade of the base, creating spaces for niches and windows in between. However, the temple departs from southern Indian convention in one significant way: the vimanam is taller than the "gopuram" (gateways) of the temple's walls. Normally the gopuram are taller than the vimanam (e.g., Sri Meenakshi, also on this website).

A unique feature of this temple is its "shikhara". In Northern Indian architecture, the shikhara refers to the mass of superstructure that rises above the temple's base, but in the South, such as Thanjavur, the "shikhara" refers only to the finial of the superstructure (i.e., the capstones). Brihadeshvara's shikhara, which sits atop the vimanam, is carved out of a single large mass of stone weighing 81 tons. Legend says that the stone was brought from a site six kilometers away using a specially designed ramp.

The exterior of the temple is dominated by hundreds of stucco sculptures, most of which were probably painted originally. In the interior, the inner sanctum contains a massive Shiva lingam that is the object of devotion.

Location

The approximate location of the temple is 10.782712' N, 79.131685' E (WGS 84 map datum).