BRIHADEESWARAR TEMPLE

This is located in the city of Thanjavur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is an important example of 

Tamil architecture achieved during the Chola dynasty. It was built in11th century AD also known as Periya Kovil, Brihadeshwara Temple, RajaRajeswara Temple and Rajarajeswaram,  It is one of the largest temples in India and one of India's most prized architectural000 sites. Built by emperor Raja Raja Chola I and completed in 1010 AD, Peruvudaiyaar Temple, also popularly known as the 'Big Temple', turned 1000 years old in 2010. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Great Living Chola Temples".

Thanjavur Periya Kovil stands amidst fortified walls that were probably added in the 16th century. The 

vimanam (or temple tower) is 216 ft (66 m) high and is among the tallest of its kind in the world. The Kumbam (Kalasha or Chikharam, the apex or the bulbous structure on the top) of the temple is carved out of a single rock and it weighs around 80 tons.There is a big statue of Nandi (sacred bull), carved out of a single rock, at the entrance measuring about 16 feet long and 13 feet high. The entire temple structure is made out of granite, the nearest sources of which are close to Tiruchirappalli, about 60 km to the west of Thanjavur. The temple is the most visited tourist attraction in Thanjavur and the state alike.

The Brihadeshwarar temple was built to grace the throne of the Chola empire by the Tamil emperor 

Arulmozhivarman, popularly called Rajaraja Chola I, in compliance to a command given to him in a dream. One of the first great Tamil Chola building projects, the temple's foundations was laid out in 1002 CE. An axial and symmetrical geometry rules the temple layout. Temples from this period and the following two centuries are an expression of the Tamilars (Chola) wealth, power and artistic expertise. The emergence of such features as the multifaceted columns with projecting square capitals signals the arrival of the new Chola style.

Intended to display the emperor's vision of his power and his relationship to the universal order, the 

temple was the site of the major royal ceremonies such as anointing the emperor and linking him with its deity, Shiva, and the daily rituals of the deities were mirrored by those of the king. It is an architectural example showcasing the pure form of the Dravida type of temple architecture and representative of the Chola Empire ideology and the Tamil civilisation in Southern India. The temple “testifies to the brilliant achievements of the Chola in architecture, sculpture, painting and bronze casting."