The Brihadiswara Temple

At times, life can show us things that cannot be explained by science. One of those mind-blowing and fantastic architectures that could not defy science is the Brihadiswara Temple in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.

The Brihadiswara Temple is also known as the Thanjai Periya Kovil as well as Rajarajeswaram. It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is an icon for the complex and amazing architecture and is also one of the largest temples in India. It was built with granite and had a massive colonnaded prakara, which is the corridor. It is said to have one of the largest lingas in India. A linga is an abstract representation of Lord Shiva. It also includes shrines for Parvati, Nandi, Ganesha, Kartikeya, Varahi, Sabhapati and many more holy gods and goddesses. This temple also is related to Shaivism (worshiping Lord Shiva), Vaishnaivism(worshiping Lord Vishnu), Shaktism(worshiping Mahadevi and other goddesses) which makes it religiously unique.

Now, what makes it one of the most popular for tourist attractions in India. It is mainly because of absence of shadows during the noon. It is because of the base of the structure that is big enough to absorb the shadows. We can see shadows during the morning and the evening, but we can’t mostly in the noon.

So, who should we give the credit to, for this attracting and fabulous architecture? During the rule of the Chola Dynasty over parts of India, the ruler Rajaraja Chola is said to be in the part of the creation of the temple. He named it “Rajarajeshwaram” which means “the temple of the almighty of Rajaraja”. The raids and wars caused damage to the temple. Many later dynasties tried to repair it as well and because of that protection dynasties gave; the temple is still present. It is presently a part of UNESCO as well as Archaeological Survey of India which comes under the Ministry of Culture of Government of India. There are many cultural programs that take place in the Brihadiswara temple like annual dance festivals that take place in the month of February. The temple is currently administered by Babaji Bhonsle, who is the head of the temple’s royal family.

Now, I hope all of you understood the reason behind the absence of shadows as well as its history and its connection to religious harmony. Richard Burton rightly said, “The more I study religions, the more I am convinced that man never worshipped anything but himself”. #ReligiousHarmony,

Credits: NISH for the idea of this blog.