Brahadeeswara at Thanjavoor

 The temple features:

This temple is located in Thanjavoor, 55 kms in the eastern direction from Thiruchi in Tamil nadu.
The carpet area of the temple is 3,34,704 sqft and the entrance is built on the eastern side. It has a five-stage tower and two corridors.(Pragarams)
The deity is called Brahadeeswarar and it is said that it is self incarnated in the east facing pose. The Lord's consort Devi Periyanagi has separate sanctum in the south facing pose. The temple tree is Bilvam and the theertham is called River vennai. There are many stone inscriptions here giving details of the kshetram.

The saints who sang hymns on the Lord:
Thiru-gnana-sambandhar,  Thiru-navuk-arasar, Sundarar and Manika-vasagar

It is said of the Siva idol in this temple that there is no comparison with any other. Because the biggest lingam is in the sanctum of this temple. Approximately the base ( called Avadai) is 54 feet in circumference and 6 feet in height. The upper cylindrical portion is 23 ¹/₂ feet in perimeter and the height is 9 feet .
This temple has a tower which is very tall. On top of the tower there is a stone which weighs 80 tons. The 'kalasams' of the tower are each 12 ft high. There is a massive structure 216 feet high which is decorated with elaborate sculptures, images and paintings of the Hinduism which is an architectural marvel.The parapet wall around the temple is 216 ft in height. There is a Nandhi (opposite to the Main deity) which is 12 ft high, 12 ft long and 40 tons in weight sculpted from a single stone.

Tanjore became famous during the regime of emperor Raja Raja Chola I .The emperor ruled during the period 985 to 1013 A. D. He built the magnificent Brihadeswara temple. 

It is said that the king was suffering from leprosy. To get cured from the disease he was advised that he should build a temple to Lord Siva bringing the stone to make the Sivalingam from the river Narmada. The king took a vow and was cured from the disease and he constructed this huge temple as he vowed.

The 'Vimanam' ( the tower over the deity) is in many stages and it is covered with copper metal and then gold plated with gold weighing about 250 bars. In the third story there is an European figure wearing a hat. It is said that a sanctimonious architect hailing from Kancheepuram, who was also an astrologer wanted to show his prediction for the  future of India to Chola Nayak kings. He etched the model of an European with written inscriptions on the wall of the vimanam. It says that the English would rule over Indian Land for 200 years. This has come true. In the first stage in the vimanam there are 81 cosmic dance poses of Lord Nataraja sculpted on the walls of the tower.

Music and Drama artists received much encouragement from successive rulers of Tanjore. So it became a practise to play Raja Raja drama called Rajeswara Nataka. Even now this drama is being enacted in this temple during festival time.

It is believed any one suffering from any chronic fever, offers to anoint this deity with sandal paste , he would get relief from the ailment. This has been the experience of many.

Legend:
Once there was a demon called Thanjasuran who was ill-treating the devas. They could not stand this and all went to Devi Parvathi and represented about their problems. Parvathi said to them that she would solve the crisis. Accordingly she killed the demon. While dying he requested the devi that this place should be named after him. The devi accepted this and this place is named Thanjavoor after the demon Thanjasuran

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