The biggest Shiva temple in the World is Brihadeeswarar temple in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.
The temple was built by Raja Raja Chola I. The temple is more than 1000 years old.
- The temple structure is an example of Dravidian architecture and it portrays the ideology of Tamil Civilization and Chola Empire.
- The temple has the world's largest Vimanam ( temple tower ) and it's Kumbam (the structure on the top ) weighs approximately 80 tons.
- The temple has a huge statue of Nandi at the entrance. The statue is carved out of a single rock and weighs around 20 tons.
- The main Shiva Linga inside the temple is 8.7 meters tall.
- Brihadeeswarar temple is one of the few temples, that has Ashta-dikpaalakas ( Guardians of the Eight directions) idols.
- It's the first complete granite temple in the World, around 60000 tons of granite is said to be used to build the temple.
- It was constructed by interlocking technology without using binding materials.
- It has a tunnel from the temple to the pasupatheeswharar temple in the district of Karur. It is believed that the Saint karuvurar (his grave is in this Karur temple) came all the way through this tunnel to open the brihadheswarar temple.
- This temple's vimans shadow never fall on the ground.
- The temple's replica was built by Raja Raja Cholas son, Rajendra chola in a place called Gangai konda chollapuram, as a memory in defeating the ganges plains.
