Main Temple Complex
The main temple complex contained within the Thiruchutru Maligai is a rectangle that is almost exactly two stacked squares, covering 240.79 meters (790.0 ft) east to west, and 121.92 meters (400.0 ft) north to south. In this space are four main sections: the main community hall (Mukha Mandapam), the great gathering hall (Maha Mandapam), the pavilion (Antrala) that connects the great gathering hall with the sanctum and the sanctum with its towering superstructure (Sri Vimana). There are several smaller shrines surrounding the main sections.
The original temple as built by Rajaraja Chola consisted of the second and third gateways (Keralanthaka and Rajaraja Tiruvasal), the Thiruchutru Maligai, the Sanctum with its towering vimana and gathering halls, and the Chandikeshwara temple. All the other structures were added to the original temple after the 11th century, during the Pandya, Nayaka, Vijayanagara and Maratha era, before the colonial era started. As seen by the layout of the temple complex, these later builders appear to have understood and respected the original plans and symmetry rules.
Mukha Mandapa, Maha Mandapa and Antrala (Map:7)
As you approach the main temple and the sanctum, you will pass through two halls, the Mukha Mandapam (the main community hall) and the Maha Mandapam (great gathering Hall). These mandapams are square plan structures axially aligned between the sanctum and the Nandi mandapa.
Mukha Mandapam
The Mukha mandapam was built by Pachaiyappa Nayaka, during the 16th century. Sarfoji II, a Maratha king, constructed the steps leading up to this Mukha mandapam. There are two 18-foot Dwarapalakas at the entrance. On the left side of Dwarapalaka's foot (below), the relief of a snake swallowing the elephant is worth seeing.
The Mukha Mandapam serves as a community hall to gather and converse before and after worship. Take a few minutes to sit, rest and contemplate the carvings and frescos in this hall.
Maha Mandapam
Continue towards the sanctum climbing up the stairs to the Maha Mandapam, a large gathering hall constructed by Rajaraja Chola as part of the original temple. The mandapam has six pillars on each side and features beautifully decorated walls with sculptures of Bhairavi, Mahishasuramardini, and Saraswati on the north side and Ganesha, Vishnu, and Gajalakshmi on the south side. On one side of the hall, you can see square Simha (lion) pillars that appear to be from the Pallava period and may have been procured from older destroyed temples. The 12-foot Thirupani Dwarapalakas (gate guards) were installed at the entrance by the Nayakas.
Around the hall, there are small shrines for dikpalas, guardian gods of different directions, such as Agni, Indra, Varuna, and Kubera that were installed during the rule of Rajendra Chola I. Unfortunately, some of the original eight shrines and statues are now missing.
The Maha Mandapam serves as the great gathering hall, a designated space for large congregations within the temple complex
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Ardha Mandapam or Antrala
The Ardha Mandapam (half hall) or Antrala (entrance), is located between the Maha Mandapam and the sanctum sanctorum, acting as a transition space for devotees. This mandapam is supported by four 20-foot stone pillars and features a stunning relief.
The Ardha Mandapam can also be accessed from the outside via sets of steps on the south (Ashtamangala Vayil) and north (Vikrama Chola Vayil). On the side of the steps there are reliefs of Chandesa Anugraha Murthy, Daksha’s head chopped by Shiva, the Tripuranthakam story, in which Lord Vishnu, as Buddha and preaches to Tripura Asuras (demons).
The entrance to an underground tunnel from the Thanjavur Palace that the royal family used to access the temple for daily worship is located by the Vikrama Chola Vayil. However, the tunnels have been permanently closed for safety reasons.
Exit the Ardha Mandapam using the Vikrama Chola Tiruvasal on the right (north side) so you can observe the majestic Vimana from the exterior.
Vimana (Map 7)
The Brihadishwara Temple stands as a living testament to the engineering prowess of the ancient Cholas, and this is most evident in the construction of the Vimana (the main tower above the sanctum). Standing 216-foot tall with a perfectly square 96-foot x 96-foot base, the Vimana, unlike modern counterparts, was built without any central beams or binding agents (cement) to hold it together. Instead, it relies on its unique foundation and interlocking stone architecture to provide stability that has lasted over a thousand years and survived at least six major earthquakes, without a single degree of incline.
The foundation for this huge structure is only 5 ½ foot deep but provides perfect stability to the 130,000-ton superstructure as it sits on laterite and limestone layers on the bottom topped with a “sandbox” layer. There are two 12-foot-deep underground chambers in front of the sanctum. This unique foundation was designed to hold 162-tons of weight per square meter with zero settlement!
The Vimana is hollow inside all the way up to the capstone and was constructed using large interlocking blocks of precisely carved granite joined by ball and socket joints and butt end type joints. The first 3 levels have straight vertical sides, and the next 13 levels gradually narrow down with 70 degrees angle on the sides until the top is 24 feet square.
Ornamentation on the Vimana’s surfaces further enriches its architectural narrative. The first 7 stories of the Vimana have sculptures of deities or human figures in the center of each side, while the upper stories are covered with intricate ornamental carvings.
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Walk around to the back of the vimana and observe the carvings on the outer walls of the vimana include life size sculptures of Bhikshatana, Tripuranthaka, Vira Bhadra, Vishnu, Harihara, and Lingodhbava on the western (back) side. Rajaraja had a special reverence for Shiva as Tripuranthaka (the form in which Shiva destroyed three demonic cities known as Tripura). This story is depicted in the temple in several places and there are 32 big sculptures of Tripuranthaka in niches on the outer wall of the vimana and other places throughout the temple!
Circle the vimana to the northern side and take in one of the most mysterious carvings in the temple. Just above the 3rdlevel is a unique limestone carving of a man with distinctive headwear and shirt-like top. It has been speculated that this carving may represent a Dutchman or even Kublai Khan added during the Nayaka period or possibly a Frenchman added during the Maratha period. On the same side is another sculpture of a kneeling lady who appears very Greek-like with her long curly locks of hair.
Notice the beautifully carved waterspouts channel water and milk away from the sanctum after abhishekam (bathing or anointing the Gods).
Look up at top of the Vimana and observe the single piece, 80-ton, flat capstone, known as Bramarendrakkal above the topmost level. It is fastened down with eight 10-ton Nandi statues, that serve as counterweights at each corner. Above the capstone is a round structure called the Shikhara made up of eight pieces of granite joined together like an orange. According to the inscriptions found on the temple walls, the Shikhara was originally covered with gold plate and referred to as Dakshina Meru (the Southern Abode of Lord Shiva’s celestial home, Meru, above Mount Kailash). Among the inscriptions on the Shikhara, is the name “Azhaghi” (Beautiful). Legend has it that Azhaghi was a buttermilk seller who faithfully served buttermilk every day for 6 years to the construction workers, officials and royalty as they toiled under the blazing South Indian sun.
On the 27th day of his 25th regnal year (1010 CE) Rajaraja Chola presented 14 ½ foot gold plated Kalasam (finial) to crown the Vimana. This date is also carved on the base of the Shikhara and is regarded as the consecration date of the temple. The Kalasam (finial) protects the temple from thunder and lightning!
Historians, engineers and archeologists have long marveled at how the ancient Cholas raised the 80-ton capstone as well as the 8 sections of the Shikhara up to the top of the 216-foot Vimana without the benefit of modern cranes. It is speculated that the Cholas built a 4-mile-long mud and stone ramp up to the top of the Vimana and transported these enormous pieces of granite up to the top using man and elephant power.
Reenter the Vimana using the Ashtamangala Vayil on the south side.
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Inner Circumambulatory Passage
There is a narrow 7-foot-wide passage between the outer and inner walls surrounding the sanctum in the main temple that served as a circumambulatory passage. While this passage is not open to the public, it is worth describing here as it contains a wealth of sculptures and fragile 1000-year-old frescos.
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The lower level of the passage is richly adorned with frescos from the Nayaka period in the 17th century, depicting both earthly and celestial scenes. However, in 1931, Prof. S.K. Govindaswami noticed that a section of the Nayaka paintings had cracked, revealing astonishing paintings beneath from the Chola period. After much analysis, the Archaeological Society of India (ASI) and art experts carefully detached the Nayaka paintings Using an Italian conservation technique called ‘destucco’ to reveal the Chola paintings below. The upper layer of Nayak paintings was removed and displayed on fiberglass boards in the temple museum. As this work is ongoing, the upper gallery has been closed to visitors until such time as the restoration is complete and the ancient Chola paintings have been properly preserved. Additional information about the frescos can be found in section 5.3.
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In the upper level of the passage, are 81 granite sculptures of Shiva Thandava or Nataraja (Shiva in his dancing form) in Karanas (poses and movements in dance units) from the classical Indian dance treatise, the Natyashastra. Only 81 of the 108 karanas were completed, but blank panels for the other remain in the passage.
Karuvarai or Garbhagriha (Sanctum Sanctorum) (Map 7)
As you approach the sanctum sanctorum, bear in mind that this is a place of active worship, where soft voices and a sense of reverence are the norm. It is customary to observe worship and the main deity by standing slightly to one side or the other and not directly in front of the idol.
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The sanctum sanctorum (Karuvarai or Garbhagriha) is a in a 26-foot x 26-foot chamber inside the Vimana, surrounded by a 13 ½’ outer wall and a 6 ½’ inner circumambulatory corridor (see section 4.3.3). The sanctum is called Karuvarai, a Tamil word that means "womb chamber" (or Garbhagriha in other parts of India). Only priests are allowed to enter this inner-most chamber. Originally the interior was open up to the capstone, Bramarendrakkal, but a wooden ceiling was added over the deity in later years unfortunately blocking the view of the hollow dome.
The Sanctum houses an image of the primary deity, Shiva, in the form of a huge stone Lingam (an abstract or aniconic representation Shiva). This Lingam, the largest in the world, has a 54-foot circumference Aavudai (bottom part of the lingam) with a 13-foot-tall lingam atop. It is believed that the monolithic statue was first installed in situ and then the temple was built around it. This appears likely given the size of the Shiva Lingam and the relative size of the temple entranceways.
The Shiva Lingam is a monolithic statue made of black granite from the Narmada River at Jabalpur, which is 1,100 miles from Thanjavur. 24 of the most prominent and pious families of Thanjavur sourced the stone and made arrangements to transport it to the temple site and presented it to Rajaraja as their contribution to the temple construction. Rajaraja was very pleased with the quality and appearance of this dark granite and invited the head of each family to a special annual prayer ceremony. To this day, the temple continues this annual tradition with members of the very same 24 families.
Daily pooja (or worship) is conducted several times each day in the sanctum. Further details are found in section 6.
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Exit the main temple using the Ashtamangala Vayil where you re-entered the vimana.