Description of the attraction
The amazing ancient Chola temples, which are located in the south of Hindustan, were built over almost two centuries - in the period from X to XII centuries. The complex is a unique architectural and historical monument, which exemplifies the process of social and cultural development of the great Tamil Chola empire.
The first temple of the complex - Brihadeshwara, was created in the city of Tanjora in the years 1003-1010 during the reign of King Rajaraj. This is a huge, built in honor of one of the main Hindu deities - Shiva - construction in the Dravidian style, the "staff" of which included several hundred priests, 400 devadasis - dancers performing sacred ritual dances, and 57 musicians. The revenues of the temple were so huge that they were enough not only for its development, but also to provide loans to all those in need.
A high rectangular wall measuring 270x140 meters was erected along the entire perimeter of the territory belonging to Brihadeshwar. The gate was made in the form of a massive gopuram tower, which is 30 meters high. The first wall is followed by a second, more modest size. The temple itself is built from granite slabs and, in part, from bricks. Its spatial arrangement is similar to the religious buildings of the times of the Pallava dynasty. Inside, it is a series of halls and vestibules that lead to the main sanctuary of the temple - a pyramidal 13-level vimana tower. Its height is more than 60 meters, and the top is crowned by a monolithic stone "dome" weighing about 70 tons. The outer walls of Brihadeshwara are decorated with carved columns and panels, granite figures. And inside the building you can see beautiful statues depicting dancers in 108 ritual dance poses.
The temple in 1987 received the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
