In tamilnadu this to the most beautiful temple must visited by all over the people 

MICHELAI GRAHAM

Thanjavur, one of the top places to visit in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, rose to prominence during the epic reign of the Chola dynasty from the 9th to the 13th centuries. After the fall of the Cholas, it was the Nayaks who next made a significant impact when they gained control of Thanjavur in the 16th century. Their reign lasted a century, until defeat by a strong Maratha warrior clan from Maharashtra, the Bhonsles, who established their kingdom there. The various rulers all had one thing in common — patronage of the arts and crafts. Collectively, they transformed Thanjavur into a distinguished cultural hub that continues to nurture artisans and performers. These top things to do in Thanjavur reflect the city's heritage

Marvel at the Architecture of the Big Temple

Michele Falzone/Getty Images

It's officially called the Brihadeshwara temple, but there's an obvious reason why this temple is colloquially known as the Big Temple (Periya Kovil in the local language). Big is an understatement though, it's enormous! Not surprisingly, the temple is Thanjavur's biggest (pardon the pun) attraction, one of the top temples in south India and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. What's also remarkable is that the temple is more than 1,000 years old and has withstood numerous earthquakes. Chola king Raja Raja I built the temple out of granite in the 11th century, as a symbol of the Chola dynasty's unrivaled might. So many things make it an engineering marvel. Not only was the granite transported from a quarry more than 50 miles away, the stones are held together simply by interlocking and lime mortar. An 80 metric ton solid stone dome sits on top of the temple's 216 foot high tower — how it could possibly have been placed there is mind-boggling! Granite is also one of the hardest stones to carve, and yet the temple is covered in intricate designs and sculptures. Other highlights are musical pillars, murals from the Chola dynasty, and a huge stone statue of Lord Shiva's sacred bull.

The temple complex is open daily from 6 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. You could easily spend a few hours exploring its spacious grounds and relaxing there. Around dusk, when the temple becomes illuminated and auspicious rituals are conducted, is particularly evocative. Photography is permitted.     

Part of

Great Living Chola Temples

Criteria

Cultural: (ii), (iii)

Reference

250bis-001

Inscription

1987 (11th Session)

Extensions

2004

Area

18.07 ha (44.7 acres)

Buffer zone

9.58 ha (23.7 acres)

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.[10][11]

Built using granite, the vimana tower above the shrine is one of the tallest in South India.[6] The temple has a massive colonnaded prakara (corridor) and one of the largest Shiva lingas in India.[6][9][12] It is also famed for the quality of its sculpture, as well as being the location that commissioned the brass Nataraja, Shiva as the lord of dance, in the 11th century. The complex includes shrines for Nandi, Parvati, Murugan, Ganesha, Sabhapati, Dakshinamurti, Chandeshvara, Varahi, Thiyagarajar of Thiruvarur, Siddhar Karuvoorar and others.[9][13] The temple is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Tamil Nadu.[14]