Brihadishwara Temple

The Peruvudaiyar Kovil or Brihadeeswarar Temple also known as Rajarajeswaram, at Thanjavur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is the world''s first complete granite temple and a brilliant example of the major heights achieved by Cholas kingdom Vishwakarmas in temple architecture. It is a tribute and a reflection of the power of its patron RajaRaja Chola I. It remains as one of the greatest glories of Indian architecture. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Great Living Chola Temples".The main temple is in the center of the spacious quadrangle composed of a sanctuary, a Nandi, a pillared hall and an assembly hall (mandapas), and many sub-shrines. The most important part of the temple is the inner mandapa which is surrounded by massive walls that are divided into different levels by sh arply cut sculptures and pilasters providing deep bays and recesses. Each side of the sanctuary has a bay emphasizing the principle cult icons.

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General Information

• From the State capital Chennai, a National Highway (NH 45-A) linking Chennai with Chidambaram,Mayavaram,Kumbakonam, Tanjore, and Nagappatinam runs across, which is the proper route for the Foreigners, who come to visit Tanjore and the adjoining towns.There are equal number of buses operated by the private bus operators too.

Rail services are run by Indian Railways from many cities across India including the nearby Chennai, Trichy, Tirunelveli, Madurai and Nagore. "Tanjore Junction" is the name of the train station. The nearest airport located 65 KM away is Tiruchirapalli Airport, Trichy.

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Travel Guide

• Thanjavur can be reached easily by road, rail and air. Tamil Nadu State Government runs frequent public buses from nearby Trichy, Chennai, Kumbakonam, Pudukkottai, Pattukkottai, Tirunelveli, Karur, Nagapattinam, Coimbatore and many other cities in the state.

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