City: Thanjavur
State: Tamil Nadu
Year of Construction: Between (985-1013) AD
Constructed By: Chola emperor Raja Raja I
Type of Construction: Ancient
Type of Building: Temple
Religion: Hinduism
Famous: For The most striking feature of this temple is its vimana. It is 65 metres high and is built in such a way that its shadow does not fall on the ground.
Accomodation: Accomodations are available in Thanjavur. Accesibility: Thanjavur is very well connected to the other cities by road and rail. Brihadeeswarar Temple : The Brihadeeswarar Temple is within a huge compound with walls rising above 15m. The temple is made over a 29 m square base and has a soaring vimana and a stunted gopuram. The inner sanctum and the gopuram were constructed over a period of 12 years. It was constructed from a single piece of granite weighing around 80 tonnes.
The dome was hauled into place along a 4-km earthwork ramp in a manner similar to the Egyptian pyramids. The lofty sanctum tower known as the Srivimana, is enclosed by a rectangular prakara or corridor consisting of two squares. The main tower occupies the center part of the rear square, with the center vimana or tower having 16 tiers, which rises to a height of 200 ft. The tower is considered to be symbolic of the mountain Meru. The inscriptions on the walls of the vimana record the contributions of Rajaraja Chola and his sister. Several stucco features also decorate the vimana.