Usually temples are a huge part of our country’s history, heritage and culture. From the ones on top of the hills to the ones in the southernmost part of the country- we have gorgeous temples spread throughout. And we’re sure you would agree that most of them are architectural marvels! And we’ve found yet another such temple in thanjavur, tamil Nadu- The Brihadeeswara Temple. It’s a 1000 (yes!) year-old temple dedicated to ‘Natraj’, the dancing pose of Lord Shiva. Apart from it being a total beauty, there are other mindblowing facts about this temple which will leave you in awe!
The brihadeeswara temple was built between 1003 and 1010 AD (11th century) by tamil king raja raja Chola I and is also a part of the UNESCO World heritage Site known as the ‘Great Living Chola Temples’. The temple’s original structure includes the main gopuram, frescoes, sanctum sanctorum, inscriptions and sculptures that were related to Shaivism (Shiva), Shaktism (all goddesses) and the Vaishnavism (Vishnu) tradition. Like other temples, this temple was also built to serve many functions. The walls are high, and the entrance of the temple is built like a fort along with a moat. The temple is made entirely of granite and was built using 130,000 tons of granite.
The nearest airport to the brihadeeswara temple is Tiruchirapalli international airport which is 59.6 km away from the city. Once you reach there, you can hire a cab as it’s almost an hour drive from there. You can also take a train with the nearest railway station being thanjavur Junction railway station which lies at a distance of 6 km
