Sri Brahadeeswarar Temple in Tanjavure

Brihadishvara Temple, is called Rajarajesvaram (lit. 'Lord of Rajaraja') by its builder, and known locally as Thanjai Periya Kovil (lit. 'Thanjavur Big Temple') and Peruvudaiyar Kovil, is a Saivite temple built in a Chola architectural style located on the south bank of the Cauvery River in Thanjavur, Tamizhagam India. It is one of a largest Lord Siva temple and an exemplar of south Indian architecture. It is also called Dakshina Meru ("Meru of the South). Built by Chola emperor Rajaraja I between 1003 and 1010 CE, the temple is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Great Living Chola Temple.

The original monuments of this 11th-century temple were built around a moat. It included gopura, the main temple, its massive tower, inscriptions, frescoes, and sculptures predominantly related to Saivism, but also of Vaishnavism and Shaktism. Some works of art have been destroyed by the wrath of nature. Additional mandapam and monuments were added in the centuries that followed. The temple now stands amidst fortified walls that were added after the 16th century.

Built using granite, the vimana tower above the shrine is one of the tallest in South India. The temple has a massive colonnaded prakara (corridor) and one of the largest Shiva lingas in India. It is also famed for the quality of its sculpture, as well as being the location that commissioned the brass Nataraja, Shiva as the lord of dance, in the 11th century. The complex includes shrines for Nandi, Parvati, Murugan, Vinayagar,sabhapati, Dhakshinamoorty, Chandikeshwar, Varahi, Thiyagarajar of Tiruvarur and others. The temple is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Tamil Nadu.

Rajaraja Chola, who built the temple, entitled it Rajarajeshvaram, A later inscription says which is in Tamil language located in Brihannayaki shrine as Perudaiya Nayagi. Which is appearing the all the Sanskrit words has been changed in Tamil   in Brihadisvara as Peruvudaiyar Kovil.

Brihadishwara is a Sanskrit word. Brihat which means "big, great, lofty, vast”, and Isvara means "lord, Siva, supreme being, supreme atman (soul)”.

Architecture Marvel 

The Peruvudaiyar temple's plan and development utilizes the axial and symmetrical geometry rules. It is classified as Perunkoil  a big temple built on a higher platform of a natural or man-made mounds. It is also called Madakkoil. This temple complex is a rectangle that is almost two stacked squares, covering 240.79 metres (790.0 ft) east to west, and 121.92 metres (400.0 ft) north to south. In this space are five main sections: the sanctum with the towering superstructure (sri vimana), the Nandi hall in front (Nandi-mandapam) and in between these the main community hall (mukhamandapam), the great gathering hall (mahamandapam) and the pavilion that connects the great hall with the sanctumsantoriam.

The Peruvudaiyar temple continued the saiva siddantha temple traditions of South India by embraced architectural and decorative elements, its scale significantly exceeded the temples constructed before the 11th century. However, the great Chola era architects and technicians, those who have achieved to installed specifically with heavy stone the 63.4 metres (208 ft) high towering vimana. The temple faces east. Before it had a water moat around it.  At present there is a big wall around the moat.

The two walls have ornate gateways with temple towers. These are made from solid stone. The main gateways are on the east side. The first gateway is called the Keralantakan tiruvasal, the word Keralantakan was the surname of king Rajaraja who built it. The inner eastern gateway has a vast courtyard, in which the shrines are all to east–west and north-west main directions.

The gopuram of the main entrance is 30 m high, smaller than the vimana. The main temple Sanctum sanctorum is dedicated to Lord Siva that is called Sri Bragatheeswarar. The related monuments and the great tower are in the middle of this courtyard.

Around the main temple Sanctum sanctorum are dedicated to his consort Devi Parvati, Muruga, Ganesha, Nandi, Varahi, Karuvur deva (the guru of Rajaraja Chola), Chandeshvara and Nataraja.

The Nandi mandapam has a monolithic seated Nanthi is facing the sanctum. The Nandi facing the mukh-mandapam weighs about 25 tons. It is made of a single stone and is about 2 m in height, 6 m in length and 2.5 m in width. The image of Nandi is a monolithic one and is one of the largest in the country.

This temple as a world heritage monument, the temple and the premises come under the Archaeological Survey of India which falls under the Ministry of Culture of the Government of India, to ensure preservation and restoration.

The lighting of the monument is designed to enhance the natural color of the stone along with the sculptural forms adorning all corners of the temple. The sanctum is at the center of the western square. It is surrounded by massive walls that are divided into levels by sharply cut sculptures and pilasters providing deep bays and recesses.

Each side of the sanctuary has a curve with iconography. The interior of the sanctum sanctorum hosts an image of the primary deity, Lord Siva, in the form of a sculptured in a single stone huge Linga. The sanctum sanctorum is called as Karuvarai, Tamil word’s meaning is "womb chamber"and the Sanskrit word also with the same meaning is called "Garbhagraha".

The sanctum sanctorum is the form of a miniature vimana. It has a path around the sanctum sanctorum for circumambulation.

The main Vimana (Shikhara) is a massive 16 storied tower of which 13 are tapering squares. It dominates the main quadrangle. It sits above 30.18 meters (99.0 ft) sided square. The tower is elaborately articulated with Pilaster, piers (a raised structure), and attached columns which are placed rhythmically covering every surface of the vimana.

The Stone Inscriptions:

There are Tamil Inscriptions in Thanjavur Brahadeeshwara Temple written 1000 years ago Numerous inscriptions are in Tamil and Grantha scripts. and Many of these inscriptions begin in Sanskrit and Tamil language with number of them discuss gifts to the temple, temple personnel, and residents of the city.

Mainly the temple complex has sixty four inscriptions of Rajaraja Chola I, twenty nine inscriptions of Rajendra Chola I, one each of Vikrama Chola, Kulottunga I and Rajamahendra (Rajendra II), and there are   two of them on Nayaka clane rulers in Pandiya kingdom, The names are Achyutappa Nayaka and Mallapa Nayakar. The significant thing is many inscriptions are mentioning the sculptors,and those who did help to the sculptors.  There is an inscription on the north wall of enclosure, dated 1011 CE, giving a detailed accounts of people employed and supported by the temple. people’s wages, roles and names. It includes over 600 names including those of priests, lamp lighters, washermen, tailors, jewelers, potters, carpenters, sacred parasol bearers, dance gurus, dancing devadasis, singers, male and female musicians, who were dancers and singers of devotional hymns. Among its numerous inscriptions stated that the bestowed wealth, and lands incomes from that should use for the worshipful hermits, sanyasis, gurus, and poor passers to offer food, and cash gifts.

The temple "testifies the brilliant achievements of the Chola in architecture, sculpture, painting and bronze casting." more this temple finds mention in many of the period like Muvarula and Kalingathuparani.  The temple has been declared as a world heritage monument by the Government of India and administered by the Archaeological Survey of India as a protected monument.

This temple was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, along with the Brihadeeswara Temple at Gangaikondacholapuram and Airavatesvara temple at Darasuram that are referred as the Great Living Chola Temples. These three temples are having very much similarities, yet each has unique design and sculptural elements.

Location

The Peruvudaiyar Temple is located in the city of Thanjavur, about 350 kilometres (220 mi) southwest of Chennai. The city is connected daily to other major cities by the network of Indian Railways, Tamil Nadu bus services and the National Highways 67, 45C, 226 and 226 Extn. The nearest airport with regular services is Tiruchirappalli International about 55 kilometres (34 mi) away.

These particular three temples are worth visit to see and enjoying   testified the brilliant achievements of the Cholas architecture, sculpture, painting marvels.

Thyagaraja Temple, Tiruvarur

 

Thyagaraja Temple is a huge temple in India, and located in the town of Thiruvarur in Tamizhagam, in Southern India. It is a small town yet the temple is very famous. Here Siva is worshiped as Puttridankondar. The Main idol (That is Moolavar) is made by Emerald. Daily six times poojas are offered to the main deity. The utsavar is worshiped as Lord veedhi Vidangar means Ursavar (Thiyagarajar), depicted as a Somaskanda form. His consort Parvathi is depicted as Kondi.

The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written in Tamil by saint poets known as the Nayanars and it is classified as Paadal Petra Siva Sthalam. who sang in this kshetram according to periya puranam is Gnanasambanthar is 55songs Thirunavukarasar is 208 Sundharar is 87 and Manikkavasakar is 3 altogether total 353 songs sung in this temple. This is the only temple all the 4 Nayanars sung the highest number of songs.

The temple complex covers 30 acres, and is the largest temple in India. It houses nine gateway towers. The eastern tower is the tallest   one, with four stories and a height of 30 meters (98 ft). The temple has numerous shrines, with those of Veedhi Vidangar (Thiyagarajar) and Alliyankothai (Neelothbalambal) being the most prominent in this temple.

The historic name of Thiruvarur was Aaroor (Arur) and it finds mentioned in the 7th century saiva canonical work, Tevaram.

Another name is Kamalalayaksetra.

The presiding goddess Kamalambigai the meaning of the name is Devi's abode of lotus. So, this town is referred Kamalalayam.

Goddess Kamalamba is enshrined in a grand shrine in the outer prakaram (circumambulation path). The Tiruvarur Kamalamba Devi, Kandalama, is the yogini. She is a spiritual power of the tantric yogini. Her shrine inside the temple complex of Tiruvarur facing North direction of Kailash (abode of Lord Paramasiva), symbolizing release from the cycle of birth and death. She sits cross-legged in virginal purity. The Carnatic music legendry Muthuswamy Dikshatar, a tantric initiate, and a genius Sanskrit songs composer, and awesome logical methodology and incomparable creativity recalls Sri Vidya Tantrism and powers of Kamalamba as the Yogini Deity in his exquisitely rendered compositions “Kamalamba Navavarna Kritis”. The Kamalamba shrine is great veneration and it has its own cycle of annual festivals.

The Kamalalaya water pond named after this tantric deity, Kamalamba, outside the western gate of the temple covers over 16 acres and is one of the largest in the country.

Maintaining a tradition unbroken for over two thousand years, theppam, a joyous float festival in its water on a full moon January day is celebrated in this pond. A large raft with musicians singing praises of the lord is floated on the Kamalalayam. This is another specialty of this temple and this place.

The first striking features of the Tiruvarur Lord Tyagaraja temple to greet the devotee is the architecture of the great entryways, called the Gopurams, at the four cardinal directions. Each of the four exterior perimeter walls of the temple has a large Gopuram with reinforced wooden gates at its center. Of these four Gopurams, the Eastern Gopuram on the outermost perimeter wall called the Raja Gopuram is called the Maha Dwara (the great main entrance) as per Vaastu Shastra (Science of building to optimize the energy impregnation inside the space of the building) and is the most exquisite. Built between the 12th and 13th Century by the Cholas, the tall doorway of the Raja Gopuram was a granite structure up to the lintel level. This humongous granite base has several rearing Yali (animal from ancient India) figures, each mounted by a rider. The elegant slender bodies of these horse-like creatures that sport the face of a lion and the delicate relief carving on them are unique to the Chola artisans. These Kind of (Yalis) animals that lived in ancient India and represent the different stages of life. The six story, tapering superstructure above is constructed with deep red brick and mortar. (சுண்ணாம்புக் கலவை) Each of the six levels is proportionately smaller than the tier below, hollow, and set with proportionate window apertures aligned along the inner and outer facades.

In 1202 A.D., the Chola king Kulothunga Chola III constructed this, Raja Gopuram. The historical book “Kulothunga Meykirthi” and the “Tribhuvam” inscription song said that King Kulothunga III established villages in the Pandya and Chera countries to support this temple at Tiruvarur, earned and offered all  from the war to the Deity Lord Tyagaraja affectionately called as Tyagesa. The immortal sculpture of this warrior benefactor, Kulotunga Chola III with his guru Easwara Shivar, has been sculpted in the second tier of the Rajagopuram. Also it is said not only made renovation of the temple but they endowed lots and lots of wealth and lands to the temple for its maintaining and daily pujas and festivals.

The beauty of Architecture:

The temple complex occupies an area of around 17 acres (6.9 ha) with the Kamalalayam tank to its west. The temple has nine gopurams, 80 vimanas, twelve temple walls, 13 halls, fifteen large temple water bodies, three gardens, and three large precincts. The major gopuram of the temple is seven-tiered and raises to a height of 118 ft (36 m). The two main shrines of the temple are for Vanmikinathar (Shiva) and Thyagarajar. within this two, the former is the most ancient, and derives its name from the anthill, which takes the place of Linga in the main shrine. Appar, (Thirunavukarasar) the 7th-century poet saint, refers to the main deity in his hymn as puttritrukondan (one who resides in the anthill). The Stala vriksham (temple tree) is red patiri (trumpet flower tree). kondan (one who resides in the anthill). The Stala vriksham (temple tree) is red patiri (trumpet flower tree). The principles and practices of tree-worship and ophiolatry (worship of snake) are ancient bases whereupon a later date Linga worship seems to have been established.

As per folk legend says, that Thiruvarur is mentioned as the capital town of a legendary Chola king, Manu Needhi Chozan who killed his own son to provided justice to a cow is history, that event in the temple sculptural of a stone chariot.  Manuneethi Chozan and the cow and calf sculptured under the chariot in Vittavasal, against the northeast direction of the temple tower.

Here the nine Navagrahas are located towards south in straight line also located in northwest corner of the 1st circumambulatory way (prakaram) and it is believed that all the planetary deities got relieved off their curse and hence worshiped Thyagaraja. This temple is having the of maximum number of shrines sanctums (called sannithis in Tamil) in India. The foot of Thyagaraja is shown twice a year and on other occasions it is covered with flowers.

The right leg of the Tyagaraja deity and left leg of the goddess named Kondi (Devi Parvathi) is displayed during "panguniuthram “and "thiruvathirai star" festival.  but Lord Thiyagaraja never and ever shown of his left leg. Some of the major shrines in this temple are of Aananthiswarar, Neelothmbal, Asaleswarar, Adageswarar, Varuneswarar, Annamalieswarar and Kamalambal. Particularly the feature of the temple, Nandi appears standing pose towards Isaan.

The temple has a lot of halls, with six of them being the most prominent. Bhaktha Katchi hall is located to the left of the image of Moosukuntha Nandi. The festival image of Thyagaraja arrives at this hall after the Panguni Uthiram festival. (Oonjal) Swing Hall is located opposite to the baktha Katchi hall. The festival images of Chandrasekarar and darunendhu Sekari Amman arrive at this hall during the Thiruvadhirai festival. Raja Narayana hall is a public hall for localities of Thiruvarure. Panguni uthira hall is located in the western part of the temple, which is also known as sababathi hall, all the sanctums show the beauty of the temple.

The present structure was built during the Chola dynasty in the 9th century, later expansions are attributed by the empire of Vijayanagara Maintained the Sangama Dynasty (1336–1485 CE), the Saluva Dynasty and the Tuluva Dynasty (1491–1570 CE). Each one of the dynasties, endowed plenty of the lands, and wealth, for its daily puja and festivals rituals pujas.

The temple has six daily rituals puja at various times from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and twelve yearly festivals on its calendar. The temple has the huge chariot in Asia and the annual Chariot festival is celebrated during the month of March.

It is the best  to live in this place and visit this temple. however, the people living alien country, or neighboring state of the country at least once in a lifetime should visit this place worship is at their best action.