Visiting Brihadisvara Temple Thanjavur - a useful travel guide

Ask anyone who has visited the city of Thanjavur (the earlier name of the city was Tanjore) in Tamil Nadu about which places they visited, and it is highly likely that one of the first they will mention is the Brihadeeshwara Temple (Peruvudaiyar Kovil) or the Brihadisvara Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva.

While there are many magnificent temples in the District, and, indeed in the State as well, this one is, for many, the most awe-inspiring. Dedicated to the Hindu God Lord Shiva, the temple complex is vast and beautiful.

The Brihadisvara Temple was built by Emperor Rajaraja of the Chola Empire. He made Thanjavur (then known as Tanjore) the capital city and built the Brihadisvara Temple at its center.

As you approach the imposing entrance with its images of Lord Shiva’s manifestations and other deities, you are in the middle of a large courtyard in which is located the vimana (tower) of a height of 60m.

Note the design of the 13-step pyramid. It is known to be the tallest vimana not only of the Chola dynasty, but also in ancient India, and has been created entirely from granite. The main shrine inside the temple has the Shiva lingam.

There is the imposing Nandi Bull as well-

Useful Tips

Since it is a large complex, naturally, there is plenty of walking to do! Take an umbrella for keeping the head cool and also for a sudden spot of showers, and keep a couple of bottles of water.

There is sufficient parking space in the dedicated parking lot (we paid a parking fee of Rs.50/-.)

You have to remove your footwear and hand it over in the cloth bag they give you at the footwear counter where you will get a token for it to pick them up later. This was a sensible arrangement because there are a large number of people visiting, and just imagine the chaos of hundreds of pairs left at one spot and trying to locate your own among them.

Visiting during the evening hours is when it is the most crowded, but actually, it is a good time to visit when the play of colours on the canvas above, and fluffy clouds chasing each other, give you plenty of photo-ops with the temple in the foreground. The complex also was lit up as we left.

Here are some mesmerizing photos-

Reaching the temple is easy, as it is well-known and the city of Thanjavur, although not having an airport, is easily accessible from Chennai, from where you can even drive down like we did, in your own vehicle. It will take approximately a little over 6 hours, and you can make a couple of stops on the way for a bite. It is a beautiful road trip with the lush greenery touching the national highway.

Don't forget to also visit the Brihadisvara Temple at Gangakondaicholarpuram, about two hours away by road from the Thanjavur temple.