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Prahadisvarar Temple
Sign in to saveAlso known as Chola Temple Thanjavur, Big Temple at Thanjavur, Brihadishvara Temple, Thanjavur Temple, Brhadisvara Temple, Tanjore Chola Temple, Rajarajeshvara Temple, Brihadeshvara Temple
11th century Tamil Chola Dynasty Temple and UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Prahadisvarar Temple is an 11th-century Hindu temple built during the Tamil Chola Dynasty, located in Tamil Nadu, India. It is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its architectural significance and historical importance to Chola-era temple construction.
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Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- tourist attraction
- Part of
- Great Living Chola Temples
- Country
- India
- Located in
- Thanjavur
- Area
- 9.58
- Founded by
- Rajaraja I
- Image
- Le temple de Brihadishwara (Tanjore, Inde) (14354574611).jpg
- Height
- 66
Show 3 more facts
- Commons category
- Brihadisvara Temple
- architectural style
- Dravidian architecture
- inception
- 1010-00-00
Sources (8)
via Wikidata · CC0
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Encyclopedic overview
Brihadisvara Temple, called Rajarajesvaram (lit. 'Lord of Rajaraja') by its builder, and known locally as Thanjai Periya Kovil (lit. 'Thanjavur Big Temple') and Peruvudaiyar Kovil (lit. 'Temple of the great lord'), is a Shaivite Hindu temple built in a Chola architectural style located on the south bank of the Cauvery river in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the largest Hindu temples and an exemplar of Tamil architecture. It is also called Dakshina Meru (Meru of the South). Built by Chola emperor Rajaraja I between 1003 and 1010 CE, the temple is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Great Living Chola Temples", along with the Chola-era Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple and Airavatesvara temple, which are about 70 kilometres (43 mi) and 40 kilometres (25 mi) to its northeast respectively.
The original monuments of this 11th-century temple were built around a moat. It included gopura, the main temple, its massive tower, inscriptions, frescoes, and sculptures predominantly related to Shaivism, but also of Vaishnavism and Shaktism. The temple was damaged in its history and some artwork is now missing. Additional mandapam and monuments were added in the centuries that followed. The temple now stands amidst fortified walls that were added after the 16th century.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Prahadisvarar Temple” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.