Brihadeshwara temple

TThanjavur a city of temples, thrived as the ancient capital of the Chola kings.
Later it was part of the Marathas and Nayaks kingdoms. It was at the height of its glory during the Chola period between the 10th and the 14th century and became a great centre of learning and culture. It is also known as the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu.

Of the many temples Brihadeshwara temple is world famous temple. This temple was built during the period of Raja Raja I, around the 10th century. . Most of the Chola emperors were great patrons of art and architecture. During the period of Cholas, the Dravidian culture reached the height of its glory. The Brihadeshwara temple is built in Dravidian style. Brihadeshwara is a gigantic lingam cut in a monolithic rock is about 8.7mtrs height. There is a huge Nandi within the vincity of the temple. It is the second largest monolithic Nandi in the country. Apart from these, there are excellent sculptures of Lord Siva in different forms, Gods and Goddesses, several Paintings of Chola. The dome of the temple rests on a single granite rock which resembles Egyptian pyramids The stone carvings on the walls of the temple depict the influence of Shivaism, Buddhism and Vaishnavism
An art Gallery contains some magnificent granite, stone and b
ronze statues from the 9th-12th centuries and the Saraswati Mahal library established around the 17th century contains a collection of over 30,000 palm leaf and paper manuscripts in Indian and European languages

Other places of visit near Tanjore famous for their huge and impressive temples are Kumbakonam, Thiruvaiyaru, Thirukandiyur, Thiruvarur and Gangaikondacholapuram

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