Situated in Tamil Nadu’s Tanjavur, the Brihadeshwara temple is magnificent architecture, approx 1,000 years old and dedicated to Lord Shiva. Apart from its grand structure and Dravidian history, this temple is the world’s first granite temple in Tamil Nadu. The temple’s intricate designs centre around the rise and fall of the Chola Kingdom and Lord Shiva in different poses. It is said that the temple was built with 1,30,000 tons of granite.
Unique And Distinguished Details Of This Granite Temple
Brihadeshwara temple represents the Tamilian ideology and facts from the Chola empire; along with those, it is also known to have the world’s tallest tower, i.e., the temple’s tower, a massive statue of Nandi – the bull of Shiva carved from a single rock, set at the entrance of the temple and a structure on top of the temple that weighs up to 80 tons.
The Shiva Lingam inside the temple is 3.7 metres tall.
Also Read – This Tamil Nadu Man Turned His Van Into A Campervan With A Lounging Area & Kitchenette
World’s First Granite Temple Built 1,000 Years Ago
Raja Raja Chola built the temple in 1010 with the utmost intricacy depicting the powerful Chola kingdom and the wealth and creative power it possessed. This Chola King was considered to be an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. However, if you delve into the temple’s carvings further, it shows Kunjara Mallan Raja Raja Perumthachan as the man behind the construction of this famous temple.
Experts say that granite used to build the Brihadeshwara temple was exported. And the whole idea of building the Lord Shiva temple came to Raja Chola after his visit to Sri Lanka.
Also Read – This Tamil Nadu Temple Is Popular With Bachelors & Spinsters Wishing To Marry Soon!