29/08/2024
The Brihadisvara Temple, Is Dedicated To Shiva In Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Jayankondam, In The South Indian State Of Tamil Nadu. Completed In 1035 AD By Rajendra Chola I. As A Part Of His New Capital, This Chola Dynasty Era Temple Is Similar In Design, And Has A Similar Name, As The Older 11th Century, Brihadeeswarar Temple About 70 Kilometers (43 Miles) To The Southwest In Thanjavur. The Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple Is Smaller Yet More Refined Than The Thanjavur Temple. Both Are Among The Largest Shiva Temples In South India And Examples Of Dravidian Style Temples. The Temple Is Also Referred To In Texts As Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple, Or Gangaikondacholeeswaram Temple.
The Main Temple Dedicated To Shiva Is Based On A Square Plan, But It Displays Other Hindu Deities Such As Vishnu, Durga, Surya, Harihara, Ardhanarishvara, And Others. It Opens To The Sunrise And Its Sanctum, As Well As The Mandapas, Are Aligned On An East–West Axis. In Addition To The Main Shrine, The Temple Complex Has A Number Of Smaller Shrines, Gopura, And Other Monuments, With Some Partially Ruined Or Restored In Later Centuries. The Temple Is Famed For Its Bronze Sculptures, Artwork On Its Walls, The Depiction Of Nandi And The Scale Of Its Tower.
Except For This Temple, The Old City Of Gangaikonda Cholapuram – The Capital Of A Powerful Asian Empire From Around Ad 900 To Ad 1215 Or Over Three Centuries Along With Its Other Major Chola-Era Hindu Temples Have Been Completely Destroyed, Leaving A Desolate Place. The Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple Remains An Active Temple. Four Daily Rituals, And Many Yearly Festivals Are Held There, Of Which The Shivarathri During The Tamil Month Of Masi (February–March), Apisai Pournami During Apisai (October– November) And Thiruvadirai During Margazhi (December–January) Are The Most Prominent. It Is One Of The Most Visited Tourist Attractions In Tamil Nadu. The Archaeological Survey Of India (Asi) Administers The Temple As A Protected Heritage Monument. UNESCO'S Declared It A World Heritage Site In 2004, Along With The Brihadeeswarar Temple At Thanjavur And Airavatesvara Temple At Darasuram. These Are Referred To Collectively As The Great Living Chola Temples. All Three Are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The Temple Was Constructed In 1035 Ad By Rajendra Chola I (1012-44 CE), The Son Of The Famous Chola King Raja Raja Chola I, Who Built The Brihadeeswarar Temple At Thanjavur. Some Experts Believe That The Temple Was Built During 1020, During The 6th Regnal Year, But Inscriptions Indicate The 20th Regnal Year, Which Is 1035 AD. Rajendra Wanted To Emulate The Temple Built By His Father After His Victory In A Campaign Across India That Chola Era Texts State Covered Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, And Bengal. After His Victory, He Demanded That The Defeated Kingdoms Send Pots Of Ganges River Water And Pour Them Into The Temple's Well. The Well Was Originally Called Cholagangam As It Was Filled With Water From Ganges.
He Established Gangaikonda Cholapuram As His Capital From The Earlier Chola Capital Of Thanjavur. Gangaikonda Cholapuram Remained The Chola Capital For The Next 250 Years. Rajendra I Built The Entire Capital With Several Temples Using Plans And Infrastructure Recommended In Tamil Vastu And Agama Sastra Texts. These Included A Dharma Sastha, Vishnu And Other Temples. However, These Structures Were Destroyed In The Late 13th And 14th Centuries Except This Temple. The Other Chola Landmarks, Clearly Shown By Soil Covered Mounds And Excavated Broken Pillar Stumps And Brick Walls, Are Found Over A Large Area Nearby. The Earliest Inscription That Mentions This City By Name Is Dated 1029, While The Earliest Reference To Rajendra I's Expedition Towards The Ganges River In The North Is Dated 1023. The First Gift To The Newly Built Gangaikondacholapuram Temple Is Dated 1035.
