Thanjavur, October, 2025

The Brihadeshwara Temple dedicated to Shiva is located in Thanjavur, approx one hour drive from Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu, India.
Built between 1003 and 1010 AD by King Rajaraja Chola I, this is a masterpiece of Dravidian architecture. Entering through the ornate gopuram ( gateway) one feels totally in awe walking around looking at the intricate carvings. The massive granite temple tower is 66 meters high, 80-ton single block of granite. The vimana ( the octagonal dome) at the top weighs 25 tons. Imagine this stone carried from its source 60km away and hauled up a gradual ramp rising to the top for 7km by elephants!
The huge statue of Nandi, the sacred bull, ( Shivas vehicle, is also carved from a single stone 4.8 meters long and nearly 4 meters high. The temple was recognized as a UNESCO Heritage site in 1987.

Such an amazing place and magical to explore also in evening light time…

The Chola Dynasty ( 9-13th century) had established a vast empire across South India and parts of Southeast Asia. As a maritime power in trade and in military campaigns, the Chola invasions of Sri Lanka sadly were not a good thing, but that is another story!
After the Chola Empire declined, subsequent dynasties continued to maintain and add various shrines and structures to the Brihadeshwara temple complex including the last Maratha kingdom which was taken over by the British in 1855.
The Marathas also left a lasting cultural legacy in literature, music and the arts. Descendants of the Maratha royal family still live in Thanjavur today with Babaji Rajah Bhonsle Chattrapathi recognized as the titular king. Today you can visit the former royal palace grounds. The great Durbar Hall is under renovation but exquisite sculptures daring back to 9th century can be viewed in the museum.

Saraswati Mahal Library

also located within the grounds- entry to one of Asia’s oldest libraries ( no photos allowed inside) The Saraswati Mahal Library was originally established by Nayak kings in 16th century, houses a collection of over 49,000 manuscripts and rare materials on subjects such as philosophy, medicine and astonomy.

Thanjavur is a busy, bustling town and a fascinating place to visit. Reflecting back on the grandeur of former times, while people today may not be able to re-create such exterior magnificence, it is also important we as humans can work on the inspiration of our internal development for a better world.

Enjoy watching this You Tube Channel for an interesting tour of Thanjavur including a visit to local craftspeople. See the work of Thanjavur paintings using gold-leaf and semi-precious stones and the creation of dancing dolls:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kUAi_2VR34