My most favorite architectural excellence of Tamilnadu.

1. TANJORE TEMPLE

4. CONTENT
• History
• Rajaraja Chola the Great
• Construction
• Temple complex
• Cholas frescos
• Millennium commemoration
• Interesting facts
• Reference

5. HISTORY
• Other Names:
• Rajarajeswara Temple
• Peruvudaiyar Temple
• Tanjore Big Temple
• Brihadeeshwarar Temple
• Rajarajeswaram

6. HISTORY
• The temple had its foundations laid out by the Tamil emperor
Arulmozhivarman, popularly called Rajaraja chola I(985 A.D -
1015 A.D).
• It took just 6 years to complete this work on 1010 A.D.
• Expression of the Tamils (Chola) wealth, power and artistic
expertise.
• The temple was the site of the major royal ceremonies.
• Architectural example showcasing the pure form of the
Dravida type of temple architecture.
• Testify to the brilliant achievements of the Chola in
architecture, sculpture, painting and bronze casting.

8. Rajaraja Chola I
•Period- 985–1015 CE
•The second son of the Parantaka
Cholan II and Vanama Mahadevi.
•Valiant warrior.
•Meticulous attention to the
welfare and comfort of his people.
•Administration.
•Equality and liberty for women.
•Ensured religious tolerance.
•Ruled for thirty years-golden age
of cholas.
Rajaraja Chola the Great

9. Construction
• Measure of 1 3/8-inch called an angula (24 units
equaling 33 inches)
• Architect and engineer of the temple - Raja Raja
Perunthachan.
• First building fully built by granite.
• Solid base of the temple -5 meters (16 feet)
• The Big Nandi(bull), weighing about 20 tonnes -
made of a single stone and is about 2 m in height,
6 m in length and 2.5 m in width.

10. Construction
• Kalasam or Vimanam (top portion of the shrine) -
believed to weigh 81.28 tones of single stone
block-raised to its present height by dragging on
an inclined plane of 6.44 km.
• Deity of lingam is 3.7m tall.
• Prakaram(outer precincts of the temple)
measures 240m by 125m.
• Outer wall of the upper storey is carved with 81
dance karanas – postures of Bharathanatyam.

12. Temple complex
• Keralaanthagan
Gopuram
• Rajaraja Chola -Keralaanthakan
meaning Destroyer of Kerala
(Chera's) after his victory over
Kerala king Baskararavivarma, this
gopuram is named after this title .
• This is a five stage gopuram. In
the front side of the gopuram one
can see various forms of Shiva -
Rudhrathandava pose (a fierce
Shiva in dancing form).

13. Temple complex
Keralaanthagan Gopuram
• In the rear side of the gopuram -Krishna Leela,
MahaVishnu, Narasimha in one side and Hiranya
Samkara on the other side. On the top stage Shiva
and Vishnu idols are seen.
• The load is distributed on two huge granite walls and
the walls are merged into single structure.
• The huge base platform distributes the load to the
ground with the minimum foundation depth.

14. Temple complex
Rajarajan Gopuram
• Two huge 15 feet monolithic
Dwarapalas on either side of
this entrance is seen.
• The 15 feet huge monolithic
stone sculpture of the
Dwarapala reveals the Thattva
(concept) that God is
Everywhere as shown by the
upper two hands and the pose
of right hand index finger
denotes that God is one and
only one.

15. Temple complex
The Great Nandhi:
• Big statue of Nandi(sacred bull), carved out of
a single rock, at the entrance.
• The Nandhi-12 feet high, 19.5 feet long and
18.25 feet wide.
• Weighing about 20 tones.
• Stone was brought over from the bed of the
River Narmada in the north

17. Chola frescos
• The Chola fresco paintings discovered
in 1931-Aradhana Mandapam.
• The passage of the corridor-two
layers of paintings from floor to
ceiling.
• A smooth batter of limestone mixture
is applied over the stones, which will
take 2 to 3 days for setting. Within
that short span, such large paintings
were painted with natural colors like
fruit and vegetable juices.
• During the Nayak period the chola
paintings were over painted by the
Nayaks. These have certain labels in
Telugu characters mentioned the
names of Sevappa and Achyutappa
and others.

18. Millennium commemoration
• Built in the year 1010 CE-
'Big Temple' turned 1000
years old in September
2010.
• 1000th year of the grand
structure
– Bharathanatyam Yajna- 1000
dancers
– Commemorative stamps and
coins

19. Millennium commemoration

21. Interesting facts
• Underground passages in Tanjore big temple
• Huge cap stone at the top of Tanjore big temple
• Painting in Tanjore big temple
• Granite stones used for the temple construction
• Cutting and carving of Granite stones
• Secret passages in Tanjore big temple
• Shadow Disappears at noon

22. Underground passage Huge cap
Paintings One of the 81 dance postures

23. Huge cap

24. Paintings at the roof of the temple
Granite stone
Cutting and carving
Secret passages

25. Shadow disappears at noon

26. Details of Shiva Temple at Tanjore

29. Base and Shikhara Tower of Shiva Temple at Tanjore

30. Shiva Temple in Tanjore, Nandi Shrine

31. Conclusion
• Real wonder at Tanjore.
• Beautiful archaeological temple.
• Must visit place for all the people irrespective
of religion and country.
• The vision -Chola had in his mind when
building this huge monument.

33. References
• Rajarajesvaram, the Pinnacle of Chola Art by
B.Venkataraman – 1985
• Sri Brihadisvara : The Great Temple of Thanjavur
by A.K. Seshadri
• THE SCIENTIFIC EDIFIC OF BRIHADEESWARA
TEMPLE, TANJORE, TAMILNADU by Dr. V.Ganapati
Sthapati
• PAINTINGS OF SITTANNAVASAL, PANAMALAI AND
THANJAVUR by C. Nachiappan(now Sri-la-Sri
Nachiappa Swami of Koviloor Mutt)