A millenium has passed but the Brihadeeswara temple, a spectacular Chola period architectural wonder in Thanjavur, famously known as the 'big temple,' has withstood vagaries of the weather as it turned 1000 this year.
Listed as a Unesco heritage site, this temple, perhaps the oldest Shiva temple in India has welcomed all -- from powerful kings passing through its hallowed portals seeking divine blessings for the good of their subjects, to the commoner.
Built in 1,010 AD by Raja Raja Chola, the 216-feet temple remains a grand structure, unparalleled in size and splendour and is visible from any area in Thanjavur, perhaps the only such temple in India having this characteristic.
Dwarfing the devout is a huge stone sculpture of the Nandi, the bull which Lord Shiva rides, considered second largest in India.in front of the temple tower.
The inner sanctum houses something possibly not found in other temples -- some rare paintings,which were not discovered until a few decades ago. However, access to the paintings is restricted as they are in a very fragile state.
Officials of Archaelogical Survey of India,which maintains the temple, say it represents the zenith of the Dravidian type of temples in its purest form, has precision of conception and execution and magnitude of scale.
"It is still a marvellous structure and an architectural beauty. It is in excellent condition and it is rare to see such a kind of creation anywhere", Sathyabhama Bhadrinath , superintending archaeologist of ASI, told PTI.
She said ASI has undertaken works to give the temple a facelift. Restoration has been completed in the northern corridor as also relaying brick flooring.
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