In or shortly before the year 1003 CE, the Chola Emperor Rajaraja I woke one morning and said that he had a dream of Shiva, which inspired him to create a temple that would showcase the glory of Shiva, and also of course, of his own Empire.
He gave the temple endowment in 1003 and construction began on the south bank of the Kaveri River in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The designer was Kunjara Mallan Raja Rama Perunthachan, the greatest architect living in the Chola Empire at the time. The temple was built entirely using granite stones brought fron distant quarries. The temple is adorned with intricate carvings and sculptures depicting various sacred stories and scenes from Hindu sources of knowledge.
Particularly impressive is the temple’s main vimana tower, which is 216 tall, with a stone weighing 80 tons placed on top of it! An extraordinary architectural feat.
Construction was completed in 1010. Emperor Rajaraja personally installed a gold-plated kalasam (pot), which was placed as a finial atop the spire to consecrate the temple.
The Emperor and his vassals gifted thousands of kilograms of gold, silver, and precious gemstones to the temple; the Emperor himself gave over 38,000 gold coins into the temple’s coffers.
The temple’s main deity is a huge Shiva Linga.
It also includes shrines for Ganesha,
Parvati, Sabhapati, Dakshinamurti, Chandeshvara Nayanar, Varahi,
Thiyagarajar of Thiruvarur, Siddhar Karuvoorar, and more. The original inscriptions, frescoes, and sculptures throughout the temple were predominantly Shaiva, but also included some Vaishnava and Shakta images to honor and welcome them. It also contains important inscriptions and frescoes that narrate the history of the Chola dynasty and the region.
The temple’s original name was Rajarajesvaram (Rajaraja’s Lord), referring to Shiva. By the 1500s it had come to be called in Tamil Peruvudaiyar Kovil (Temple of the Great Lord), which then became translated into Sanskrit as Brihadishvara (Great Lord’s temple or Huge Lord’s temple). It is also called Dakshina Meru. The popular local Tamil speakers call it Thanjai Periya Kovil which simply means “big temple in Thanjavur”.
Throughout its history the temple has been a major charity institution, providing daily free meals for visitors. Most days these meals are relative simple; on Hindu festival days they are elaborate.
Muslim Sultans raided the temple and caused some damage. Because of this, some of the temple’s original artwork is now missing. Hindu rulers such as the Nayakas and Marathas restored the temple and made further additions, such as new mandapam and monuments. Various rulers added new shrines to other deities besides Shiva within the temple’s courtyard, if they found that their own personal favorite deity was not yet featured.
After the 1500s, fortified walls were built around the temple to protect it from further raids.
In the 1500s and 1600s, the Nayakas added a pavilion housing the statue of Nandi,
and also added significant shrines of Murugan
and Parvati Amman. Some rulers had new murals added over the faded or defaced older ones.
Brihadishvara Temple remains an actively functioning temple to this day.