The PPP presentation is based on the architecture and art of Brihadeshwara temple of Chola period. It has basic introduction of the region. This is for tthe students of UG and PG not for API.

1. Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur
"Great Living Chola Temples“
Chola-Nayaks-Marathas Dynasties
Sachin Kr. Tiwary
Drawing by Daniell, 1821, Paris

2. Location
map of the
temple
Thanjavur,
Tamil Nadu,
India
?
Brihadisvara
Temple at
Gangaikonda
Cholapuram,
Jayankondam,
Tamil Nadu,
Completed in
1035 AD
by Rajendra
Chola I

3. Selectedbooksonthe
BrihadishvaraTemple,Tanjavur

4. It included:
• gopura,
• the main temple,
• its massive tower,
• inscriptions,
• frescoes and
• sculptures ….
Related to:
• Shaivism,
• Vaishnavism
• Shaktism.

5. A mural of Rajaraja I and his guru Image of Rajaraja I

6. Thomas & William Daniell’s, 1798
© The British Library Board
William Daniell, 1769-1837
© Yale Center for British Art
Also known as
• Peruvudaiyar Kovil / Periya Kovil / RajaRajeshwara / Rajarajeshvaram Temple,
• One of the largest temples in India,
• Dravidian architecture during the Chola period,
• Built by emperor Arulmozhivarman / Raja Raja Chola I (985 - 1012 CE) laid the foundation in
1002 CE and completed in 1010 CE,
• UNESCO World Heritage Site,
• Two other important temples- Gangaikonda Cholapuram & Airavatesvara temple.

7. • Rajaraja-I the son of Sundara Chola (Parantaka-II) and
Vanavan mahadevi built this temple,
• Influence- Pallava Rajasimha Temples in Kanchipuram,
• Material- Granite
• Finished-within seven years from 1004 - 1009 CE, It
took just 6 years to complete this work on 1010 CE,
• Source-Epigraphical evidence it is known about
Rajaraja-I started building this temple on his 19th year
and completed on 275th day of his 25th year.
• Thanjavur was the capital of Chola dynasty.

10. Nomenclature-
• Rajaraja-I named this temple as Rajarajesvaram and the
deity Shiva in Linga form as Peruvudaiyar, the temple is
also known in the deity's name as Peruvudaiyarkovil (in
Tamil language).
• In later period Maratta and Nayaks rulers constructed
various shrines and gopurams of the temple.
• In later period when the Sanskrit language was more
popular during the Maratha rule the temple was
named in Sanskrit as Brihadisvaram and the deity as
Brihadisvara.
• Now-a-days it is called as Thanjai Periyakovil (Tanjore
Big temple),

11. Archives • Brihadeeswarar Temple served as a platform for dancers who excelled in the
traditional dance form of Sadir, which is now known as Bharatha Natyam.
• The Chola reign declined and they were ousted by the Pandyas who were in turn
thrown over by the Vijayanagara Empire.
• In 1535, the Vijayanagara king installed a Nayak king and the clan, called Tanjore
Nayaks, reigned till the mid-17th century.
• In 1674, the Marathas conquered Tanjore. Later, like the rest of the country, Thanjavur
too fell into British hands.
• The inscriptions and frescoes on the walls of Brihadeeswarar Temple record the rise
and fall of the city's fortunes.
• Shiva’s representation is as a gigantic stone lingam.
• This is covered by a vimanam that extends to 216 feet.

12. Fortified walls added in the 1600
CE
“testifies to Chola’s brilliant
achievements in
architecture, painting,
bronze casting and
sculpture.”
Its precincts are surrounded
with cloisters covering an
area of 120m by 240m and
are also surrounded outside
with heavy brick walls for an
area of 350m square
including a large tank
(reservoir).
Thanjavur constructed in the basin of the Kaveri (Cauvery)

20. • The Vimanam (temple tower) is 216 ft
(66 m) high and is the tallest in the
world.
• The entire temple structure is made
out of granite, the nearest sources of
which are about 60 km to the west of
temple.

21. 1880
1921
Edmund David Lyon
1854-56

22. • The Kumbam (the apex
or the bulbous structure
on the top) of the temple
is carved out of a single
rock and weighs around
80 tons.

23. • Big statue of Nandi
carved out of a
single rock,
• 16 ft (4.9 m) long
• 13 ft (4.0 m) high
• At the entrance.
Nandi

24. • The upper storey corridor wall of the aditala is carved with 81 of
the 108 dance karanas – postures of Natya Sastra.
• This text is the basis of the Bharathanatyam, the classical dance
of Tamil Nadu.
• The 27 unrepresented karanas are blank blocks of stone, and it is
unclear why these were not carved.
• The 81 postures carved suggest the significance of this classical
Indian dance form by early 11th century.
PosturesofNatyaSastra

25. Sculpture of French King

26. Sculpturesandothers

27. Lingodbhava and Bhikshatana

28. Sculptures

29. Kalpavriskshamythologywith
kamadepiction(gopuram)

30. Inscriptions:
TamilScript
SanskritLanguage

31. Sources-
• https://sreenivasaraos.com/2012/09/23/the-legacy-of-chitrasutra-seven-brihadishvara/
• http://www.thanjavur.com/bragathe.htm
• http://www.thebigtemple.com/emperor_rajaraja.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chola_art
• http://www.whatisindia.com/opinion/2006/03/wis20060331_the_great_god_of_rajeshwaram.html
• http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2003/02/28/stories/2003022801300600.htm
• http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2410/stories/20070601000106500.htm
• http://www.thebigtemple.com/frescos.html
• http://www.hindu.com/2005/12/24/stories/2005122406380400.htm
• http://conserveheritage.org/paintingpreservation.html
• http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2004061300370200.htm&date=2004/06/13/&prd=
mag&
• http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2005/06/20/stories/2005062000400500.htm
• http://saigan.com/heritage/articles/cholamrl.html
• https://www.academia.edu/27054217/2016__Three_Royal_Temple_Foundations_in_South_India_Tripurantaka_Imagery
_as_a_Statement_of_Political_Power

32. Thank you
Any Question ?