Interesting facts about Thanjai Periya Kovil
- Brihadishvara Temple, also called Rajarajesvaram or Peruvudaiyar Koyil, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India.
- The original name of the deity was Rajarajeshwar. It was the Marathas who gave it the name Brihadeeswara or the Great Ishwara.
- This is the only temple in India where the King specifically mentions in an inscription that he built this all-stone temple called ‘kattrali’
- The entire temple was built using granite stones.
- The mystery doesnt lie in this but in close neighbourhood as far as archaeological evidences suggest there were no traces of granite sources.
- It is said all these were brought miles afar just using the only way of carriers-The elephants!!!
- Bringing every bit of raw material from a far place continuously till the end is a big thing in those days!!!
- The inscriptions in this temple ,even speak about the temple’s cleaners, sweepers, carriers of flags and parasols, torch-bearers for processions at night and festivals, cooks, dancers, musicians and singers of Tamil and Sanskrit verses.
- The temple is said to have a huge cap stone on top of it, and the weight of the stone is said to be 80 tonnes.
- The Garbhagriha where the Shiva lingam is located is said to generate large amount of electromagnetic energy.
- Do you know?? :: The nandhi we see now in the Thanjavoor periya kovil is not that “Otrai Kal Nandhi” which was installed during the time Raja Raja.It was the new sculpture which was kept more recently, said to be the gift to the temple from the Maratha rulers
- The original “otrai kal nandhi” was removed from the place where it was before for various unaccounted reasons and kept at the praharam(the side path) of the temple.
- In order to achieve stability, architects of the 13-tiered vimana had positioned it on another two-tiered double-walled plinth.
- Each of the lower two tiers of the vimana has a pradakshina pada (corridor) running all round with an inner and outer wall.
- The 13 tiers have stones stacked up with perfect balance and equilibrium. No binding material is used, and they are made to stand on their weight.
- Raja Raja Chola gifted gold vessels to the temple, and their weight, shape and casting were mentioned in the lithic records. Even a small spoon, ‘nei muttai,’ for scooping out ghee, finds a mention.
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