A 1000 years on and still standing strong

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.

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 Archaeological 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, said.

Bhadrinath said ASI has undertaken works to give the temple a face-lift. Restoration has been completed in the northern corridor as also relaying brick flooring.

Besides the tall tower above the sanctum sanctorum, the temple has two more towers decorated with figures of Gods and demons. Inside the complex are shrines of Lord Ganesha and Murugan and Amman, along with the main temple dedicated to Brihadishwara.

A question baffling many relates to construction of the 'kalasha' of the main temple, weighing more than 80 tonnes and how such a heavy monolith was lifted to more than 200 feet.

Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) IT in charge Justin Jose said his department had recently launched a virtual tour of Brihadeeswara Temple.

Jose said that if someone has not visited Thanjavur to see the temple, a virtual visit to the site would enable them see it in all its glory, including all the beautiful sculptures.