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Old 25th January 2025, 15:24   #1
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Divine Designs: Exploring the Legacy of Tamil Temple Architecture

Divine Designs: Exploring the Legacy of Tamil Temple Architecture


This is the story of four friends (cousins) with lots of interests in historic architecture who set aside their busy lives for a week to travel together, reconnect, and explore the magnificent architecture of Tamil temples during the first week of Aug 2024. I wanted to create this article as soon as I got back from the trip but sometimes as we all know, our wishes do not realize the way we wish.


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This wasn’t just a trip; it was a journey I had longed to experience. For years, every vacation to India had been consumed by visits to family and friends, leaving me with little time for myself. Since last couple of years (and as I get older ), I decided to change that pattern for good. Prior to this temple run in Aug 2024, Aug of 2023 was of an incredible solo road trip from Europe to Africa which I documented here (Solo road-trip from EU to Africa (Netherlands - Morocco) in a Lexus NX300h). I am now already spending hours for what could be the trip in Aug 2025.

How and why Tamil Nadu?

First of all, we had just one week - so needed something that we all could enjoy at a manageable distance from Kozhikode, Kerala. Besides, I personally have a special place in my heart for Tamil Nadu where (Good old Madras as I personally like to call it) I spent early years of my career. It had a lot of life and character unlike some of the other cities I have been to. Back then the life was not particularly easy for several reasons, but I did enjoy living in and around for a few years. Looking back now brings a lot of memories.

Given interest in temple architecture (and food of course), Tamil Nadu offers countless temples of amazing Architecture, it also offers some of the best south Indian culinary experiences. Its traditional, authentic, economic and different.

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In no time Tamil Nādu became our pick of destination. Incase if you have not realized, Tamil Nādu has some of the most amazing temple architectures not just in India but around the globe, leading back to thousands of years across several dynasties.

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As I began writing about this incredible week of travel and exploring temple architecture, I found myself Googling “what makes friends friends.” What I found resonated deeply.

Good listener, Trustworthy, You can be yourself around them, Empathy, Respect, They support you, Being non-judgmental, Honesty, Loyalty, They are kindhearted, Dependability, Flexibility, Humor, Low-maintenance, Makes you smile, They make you feel wanted, list goes on.

Friendship is what truly made this trip unforgettable.

So the plan got final in no time. I flew from Amsterdam to Calicut where two of the cousins lived, third one drove from Kasaragod to Calicut with his less than a year old Skoda Kushaq which is what we would be driving on for days to come.

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Pondicherry also got added to the plan. It was French colonial settlement in India until 1954, is now a Union Territory town bounded by the southeastern Tamil Nadu state. Its French legacy is preserved in its French Quarter, with tree-lined streets, mustard-colored colonial villas and chic boutiques. It also offers some of the best beaches.

The great temples of Tamil Nadu

Below list is what is elaborated in this article. This is not all, we had no time for Madurai or for further south. We had to park them for another occasion.
  • Arunachalam Arunachaleswarar Temple
  • Chidambaram Thillai Natarajar Temple
  • Gangaikondacholeeswaram Temple (Brihadisvara Temple)
  • Kumbakonam Airavatesvara Temple
  • Thanjavur Brihadeeswara Temple
  • Sri RanganathaSwamy Temple, Srirangam
  • The Rock Fort Vinayagr temple
  • Palani Murugan temple


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A lot of the facts around the temples in this article come from Wikipedia as that is the best source of information available especially on historic significance of these temples.

First destination: Tiruvannamalai


Kozhikode – Tiruvannamalai is about 500 Kms. Roads in Kerala are of low quality however Tamil Nadu has some of the best roads in India.

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Temple to Visit: Arunachaleswarar Temple

Arunachaleswara Temple, also known as Annamalaiyar Temple, is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva. It’s situated at the foot of Arunachala hill in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India. This temple holds great importance for the Shaivite sect, as it’s one of the five Panchabhoota Sthalams, which are considered sacred places associated with the five elements. Specifically, it’s connected to the element of fire, or Agni. The temple complex spans an impressive 10 hectares, making it one of the largest temples in India.

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The masonry structure we see today was built during the Chola dynasty way back in the 9th century. Later, the Vijayanagara rulers of the Sangama dynasty (1336–1485 CE), the Saluva dynasty, and the Tuluva dynasty (1491–1570 CE) added to it.

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Some interesting facts about Arunachaleswara Temple
  • It is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located at the base of Arunachala hill
  • The temple complex covers 10 hectares, and is one of the largest in India.
  • Inside the doorway of the first tower and the fifth precinct, there is a thousand-pillared hall built during the late Vijayanagara period.
  • Every full moon, tens of thousands of pilgrims worship Arunachalesvara by circumambulating the Arunachala hill barefoot. The circumambulation covers a distance of 14 kilometers (8.7 mi), and is referred to as Girivalam.
  • It houses four gateway towers known as gopurams. The tallest is the eastern tower, with 11 stories and a height of 66 metres (217 ft), making it one of the tallest temple towers in India built by Sevappa Nayakkar (Nayakar dynasty).

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The French revolution: Pondicherry


After spending time and having a good south Indian lunch, we headed to Pondicherry for the night and the day after. Arunachalam – Pondicherry is about 115 Kms.

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Place to Visit: Pondicherry is a well documented tourist destination. These are the most sought after locations to visit. The official website is a good place to start.
  • Eglise de Notre Dame des Anges
  • The Sacred Heart Basilica
  • Immaculate Conception Cathedral
  • Puducherry Museum
  • Arikamedu Trust
  • Our Lady of Angels & the French Quarter [White Town]
  • Sri Varadaraja Perumal Temple
  • Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Devasthanam
  • Auroville
  • Old lighthouse
  • Rock Beach
  • Paradise Beach
  • Promenade Beach


If you are looking for a short weekend getaway from places like Chennai or Bangalore, Pondicherry is a no brainer.
  • One way road distance from Bangalore is 315 kilomters.
  • Round trip from Bangalore to Pondicherry and then to Chennai and back to Bangalore is less than 900 kilometers.

Tip: Fill up your fuel tanks from Pondicherry as much as you can. Fuel is marginally cheaper due to the fact that Pondicherry is a union territory which means different types of tax rules apply.

Let me windup Pondicherry with a few photos given the abundance of information available over internet.

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On a side note, be careful of road traffic. I was not impressed at all with how especially bikers were behaving on the road.

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Not too far from Pondicherry is Auroville. Its a globally known destination. Auroville is an experimental township in Villupuram district, mostly in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, with some parts in the Union Territory of Pondicherry in India.

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It was founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa and designed by architect Roger Anger.
Auroville has its own website that has all sorts of details before you visit.

After embracing the true idea of Auroville, we ended up making a short visit to Arikamedu which was an Indo-Roman trading city dating back about a 1000 years. It was a place where ships unloaded goods from distant lands. A massive brick structure which is supposed to be a warehouse was found at the site.

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Unfortunately the roads to the location and infrastructure are of low quality. Hopefully this site gets better attention in future.

Heading to Chidambaram


Place to visit: Thillai Natarajar Temple

After a full day of grabbing whatever Pondicherry had to offer, we checked out and headed to Chidambaram, where Thillai Natarajar Temple is located.

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Chidambaram is about 65 kms from Pondicherry.


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Thillai Nataraja Temple, also referred as the Chidambaram Nataraja Temple, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Nataraja, the form of Shiva as the lord of dance.

The temple wall carvings display all the 108 Karanas and these postures form a foundation of Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance derived from Sathirattam.

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Some interesting facts about Chidambaram Thillai Natarajar Temple
  • The present temple was built in the 10th century when Chidambaram was the capital of the Chola dynasty.
  • After its 10th-century consecration by the Cholas who considered Nataraja as their family deity. The Chidambaram temple complex, for example, has the earliest known Amman or Devi temple in South India, a pre-13th-century Surya shrine with chariot, shrines for Ganesha, Murugan and Vishnu, one of the earliest known Shiva Ganga sacred pool, large mandapas for the convenience of pilgrims (choultry, ambalam or sabha) and other monuments.
  • Shiva himself is presented as the Nataraja performing the Ananda Tandava (“Dance of Delight”) in the golden hall of the shrine Pon Ambalam.
  • The temple has been damaged, repaired, renovated and expanded through the 2nd millennium. Most of the temple’s surviving plan, architecture and structure is from the late 12th and early 13th centuries, with later additions in similar style.
  • The temple as it stands had a pre-Chola existence and the architecture is a combination of Chola and Pandyan architecture with the Sanctum Sanctorum closely resembling Kerala style structures.
  • The temple has nine major gopuram gateways connecting the various courtyards. Four of these are huge and colorful, visible from afar, a symbolic and convenient landmark for pilgrims. These gateway towers or gopurams each have 7 storeys facing the East, South, West and North. The first edition of the four gopuram superstructures were likely built between 1150 and 1300 CE.

Next destination: Gangaikonda Cholapuram


Chidambaram to Gangaikonda Cholapuram is about 45 kilomters. Roads are good and there was almost no traffic. We reached in no time.

Place to visit: Gangaikondacholeeswaram Temple

The Brihadisvara Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva in Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Jayankondam, in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Completed in 1035 AD by Rajendra Chola I as a part of his new capital.

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The Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple is smaller yet more refined than the Thanjavur Temple.


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What strikes our minds was the precision of stonework across all these temples. Its mind-blowing to even imagine that these level of perfections could be achieved thousands of years ago.


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Rajendra wanted to emulate the temple built by his father after his victory in a campaign across India that Chola era texts state covered Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Bengal. After his victory, he demanded that the defeated kingdoms send pots of Ganges River water and pour them into the temple’s well.




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Some interesting facts about Gangaikondacholeeswaram Temple
  • The temple was constructed in 1035 AD by Rajendra Chola I (1012-44 CE), the son of the famous Chola king Raja Raja Chola I, who built the Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur.
  • Some experts believe that the temple was built during 1020, during the 6th regnal year, but inscriptions indicate the 20th regnal year, which is 1035 AD.
  • The well was originally called Cholagangam as it was filled with water from Ganges.
  • The main temple dedicated to Shiva is based on a square plan, but it displays other Hindu deities such as Vishnu, Durga, Surya, Harihara, Ardhanarishvara, and others.
  • It opens to the sunrise and its sanctum, as well as the mandapas, are aligned on an east–west axis.
  • The temple is famed for its bronze sculptures, artwork on its walls, the depiction of Nandi and the scale of its tower.
  • Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple is built in Dravidian architecture with a square plan.
  • The original courtyard is two squares stacked next to each other, all mandapas, the upapitham, the shrine plans, the garbha griha (sanctum) and the tower elements are all square shaped and incorporate circles and principles of geometric symmetry.
  • The structural elements resemble the big Brihadisvara Temple in Thanjavur.
  • Both include a courtyard entered through multiple gateways and a relatively small gopuram (tower).
  • Inside are shrines, most of which are aligned on an east–west axis; a few are perpendicular.
  • The temple complex includes Nandi Mandapa, Alankar Mandapa, Maha Mandapa, Mukha Mandapa and Ardha Mandapa.
  • Some of these were added and restored by Hindu kingdoms after the 14th century or by British India art conservation.

Heading towards Dharasuram


Place to visit: Sri Airavatesvara Temple

After another excellent Sounth Indian lunch, we set our navigation towards Kumbakonam to visit another marvel of architecture, the Airavatesvara Temple. Airavatesvara Temple is a Hindu temple of Chola architecture located in Kumbakonam, Thanjavur District in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This temple, built by Chola emperor Rajaraja II in the 12th century.

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The Airavateswarar temple is one among a cluster of eighteen mediaeval era large Hindu temples in the Kumbakonam area, Thanjavur District. The temple is dedicated to Shiva.


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The stone temple incorporates a chariot structure, and includes major Vedic and Puranic deities such as Indra, Agni, Varuna, Vayu, Brahma, Surya, Vishnu, Saptamatrikas, Durga, Saraswati, Sri devi (Lakshmi), Ganga, Yamuna, Subrahmanya, Ganesha, Kama, Rati and others.


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The agra mandapa has an attached square porch of 7 metres (23 ft) side. It has ornately carved steps that go from east to west. On its east, outside the main podium, is the bali-pitham. It is unusual, in that it is produced as intricately carved balustraded steps. When one walks or steps on them, they produce a musical note. They are therefore called the “singing steps”.


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What a construction! The more you stay, the more you are puzzled.


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As I mentioned earlier, the scale and precision of stonework is beyond imagination. One could spend hours if not days here.


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It has two sun dials namely morning and evening sun dials which can be seen as wheels of the chariot.


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What was also tremendously helpful was the fact that we chose Monday to Friday (regular working days) for this trip. This helped a lot in having no crowds at most of the locations.

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In my opinion, the Sri Airavatesvara Temple stands out as the most fascinating structure among all the temples we visited. It possesses a unique charm and undeniable charisma.




Some interesting facts about Airavateswarar Temple
  • Airavatesvara Temple is a Hindu temple of Chola architecture located in Kumbakonam, Thanjavur District in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This temple, built by Chola emperor Rajaraja II in the 12th century CE is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • The Airavatesvarar temple is one among a cluster of eighteen medieval era large Hindu temples in the Kumbakonam area, Thanjavur District. The temple is dedicated to Shiva.
  • It has two sun dials namely morning and evening sun dials which can be seen as wheels of the chariot.
  • The Airavatesvara Shiva temple has a water tank. This tank has a connected channel that brings in Cauveri River water where Hindus gather annually to take a dip. The local mythology narrates how Airavata, or Indra’s (malla) white elephant was restored to clean, white skin after he took a dip in this tank. This legend is carved in stone in the inner shrine, and this Indra’s elephant gives this temple its name.
  • This temple is a storehouse of art and architecture and has some exquisite stone carvings. Although this temple is much smaller than the Brihadeesvara Temple or the Gangaikondacholapuram Temple, it is more exquisite in detail.
  • The Airavatesvara temple was much larger than it is now. It had sapta veedhis (seven streets) and seven courts, similar to the Srirangam temple, according to the inscriptions. All are gone, except the one court with the main temple that survives.

We spent a fair amount of time walking around the empty courtyards and verandahs.

That is when you realize talking over phone with friends is not same as talking to them while being with them. Another short lookback to wind up the visit to this magnificent art and we said goodbye, setting up navigation for next destination.

Continued in the next post

Last edited by dileepcm : 25th January 2025 at 16:13.
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Old 25th January 2025, 15:56   #2
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Re: Divine Designs: Exploring the Legacy of Tamil Temple Architecture

What makes Thanjai Periya Kovil (Big Temple) the Periya Kovil



After spending a night at Kumbakonam, we headed to the great Thanjai Periya Kovil also known as Tanjore Big temple or Brihadishwara Temple.

Brihadishwara Temple, called Rajarajeswaram (lit. ’Lord of Rajaraja’) by its builder, and known locally as Thanjai Periya Kovil (lit. ’Thanjavur Big Temple’) and Peruvudaiyar Kovil, is a Shaivite Hindu temple built in a Chola architectural style, located on the south bank of the Cauvery river in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India.

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It is one of the largest Hindu temples and an exemplar of Tamil architecture. It is also called Dakshina Meru (Meru of the South).


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Built by Chola emperor Rajaraja I between 1003 and 1010 CE, the temple is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage site.


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Built using granite, the vimana tower above the shrine is one of the tallest in South India. The temple has a massive colonnaded prakara (corridor) and one of the largest Shiva lingas in India.

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. The temple is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Tamil Nadu.

Some interesting facts about Brihadishwara Temple
  • One of the largest temples in India, the Brihadeeswara Temple also known as Peruvudaiyar Kovil is located in Thanjavur.
  • Dedicate to Lord Shiva represented as a huge ‘Lingam’, the temple was built around 1010 AD by the Chola king Rajaraja Chola I.
  • Considered as one of the three ‘Great Living Chola Temples’ along with the Gangaikondacholeeswaram Temple and Airavastesvara Temple, the complex is also listed as a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
  • The Peruvudaiyar temple’s plan and development utilises the axial and symmetrical geometry rules.
  • It is classified as Perunkoil (also called Madakkoil), a big temple built on a higher platform of a natural or man-made mounds.
  • The temple complex is a rectangle that is almost two stacked squares, covering 240.79 metres (790.0 ft) east to west, and 121.92 metres (400.0 ft) north to south.
  • One of the main attractions of the temple is a big statue of Nandi, the sacred bull of Lord Shiva.
  • 13 ft high and 16 ft wide, the statue is sculpted out of a single rock.
  • The main temple tower is 216 ft high and the tallest of its kind in the world. The complete structure of the temple is made out of granite.
  • The main ‘Gopurams’ or gateways to the temple are splendid structures with detailed sculptures.
  • The temple’s inscriptions and frescoes narrate the tale of the rise and decline of the city’s fortunes.
  • The Shiva lingam or the idol is covered by the tower and is built with stones that are bonded without the use of mortar.
  • Yet another wonder can be seen above – the stone at the top which weighs nearly 80 tons.
  • The temple stands as a fitting example of the might and power of the Chola dynasty that once ruled over the region.
  • It is believed that the construction of the massive temple complex took only 7 years for completion, which is a huge accomplishment considering the scale of the sculptures, art and the complex itself.

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Let’s talk about Great Living Chola Temples



The Great Living Chola Temples is a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation for a group of Chola dynasty era Hindu temples in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The temple at Thanjavur was added in the list in 1987, while the other two temples were added in 2004. To summarize, below are the group of temples that form the Great Living Chola Temples UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur, built by Rajaraja I.
  • Brihadisvara Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram, built by Rajendra Chola I.
  • Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram, built by Rajaraja II.

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The eagle eyed of you must have realized the fact that these great temples and the civilization that had the skills to build to the perfection and the scale we see today, lived along the River Kaveri.

The scale and architectural perfection are the key factors that lead to the recognition by UNESCO as per Wikipedia.
The Temple Complex at Thanjavur was recognized in 1987. The Temple Complex at Gangaikonda Cholapuram and the Airavatesvara Temple Complex were added as extensions to the site in 2004.


Heading to Srirangam



Place to visit: The Ranganathaswamy Temple:


The Ranganathaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple was our next destination. Srirangam temple is often listed as the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world.

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The Ranganathaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Ranganatha (a form of Vishnu) and is located in Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, India. Constructed in the Dravidian architectural style, the temple is glorified by the Tamil poet-saints called the Alvars in their canon, the Naalayira Divya Prabhandam, and has the unique distinction of being the foremost among the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to the god Vishnu.


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The Srirangam temple is the largest temple compound in India and is one of the largest religious complexes in the world.


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As mentioned several times, the stone carvings are of another world. Its beyond our sense of any logic to believe that such skills existed thousands of years ago.

Some interesting facts about Srirangam temple
  • It is among the most illustrious Vaishnava temples in India rich in legend and history.
  • Beyond the ancient textual history, archaeological evidence such as inscriptions refer to this temple, and these stone inscriptions are from late 100 BCE to 100 CE.
  • Hence, “making it one of the oldest surviving active temple complexes in South India”.
  • The deity finds a mention in the Sanskrit epic Ramayana which is dated around 800 to 400 BCE which also pushes the existence of deity to the same era.
  • The temple is enclosed by seven concentric enclosures with courtyards (termed prakarams or mathil suvar).
  • Each layer has walls and gopurams, which were built or fortified in and after the 16th century.
  • These walls total 32,592 feet (9,934 m) or over six miles. The temple has 17 major gopurams (towers, 21 total),[note 3] 39 pavilions, 50 shrines, nine sacred water pools, Ayiram kaal mandapam (a hall of 1000 pillars) and several small water bodies inside.

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Even though we did not have it in our plan, the additional time we had at the end led us to visiting Srirangam Rockfort temple.
Tip: Better grab a auto to go up. Parking situation up the hill is very complex.

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The climb was too steep, but its worth a visit. Unfortunately there aren’t a lot of photos from the inside of the temple. The view from top is beyond one can explain!
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On the way back we also made short stop at Palani Murukan temple. Palani is also a well documented location. Palani has no architectural significance like the rest, its a place of true believes and worships. Palani Temple which was the only one that did not allow phones or bags to be with you while being at temple premises.


Would you like to do this temple run?



Right from Auroville, all the way to Srirangam, all these locations Including Pondicherry are within about 260 kilometers.
For those who are with a fewer days to spare – this sequence is a great choice for 2-3 days of exploration.

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If you were to start from Bangalore, the road distance of a round loop is less than 900 kilometers, along the Kaveri river for the most part.
Tamil Nadu offers some of the best roads in the country, which adds a nice bonus to such a trip, so is their culinary skills.
If time permits, Madurai is a must have addition to this journey.

Winding up


It’s impossible to exhaust the topic of the magnificent temple structures crafted by our ancestors. These masterpieces are scattered not just across Tamil Nadu but throughout India, and we often fail to fully appreciate the depth of what they have left behind.

Thanks to hard work of thousands of volunteers, a lot of these details are well documented in today's digital world without which it would have been very difficult to find the information.

What astounds me most is that what remains today has survived thousands of years of destruction, wars, invasions, and looting. The precision, scale, complexity, and sheer grandeur of these intricate structures are beyond words.

As I mentioned earlier, it was our friendship that fueled this journey. This wasn’t a leisurely trip by any means. We had little time for sleep most days, endless miles to cover, and no luxury dining experiences (but the Taminaud's small, local eateries offered some of the best tastes in years)—but none of that mattered.

We were driven by our two greatest passions: exploring these wonders and engaging in endless conversations about everything under the sun for nearly a week. That is what mattered.

Thank you for reading!
Best,
Dileep.

Last edited by dileepcm : 25th January 2025 at 16:20.
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Old 25th January 2025, 18:12   #3
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Re: Divine Designs: Exploring the Legacy of Tamil Temple Architecture

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Old 26th January 2025, 14:33   #4
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Re: Divine Designs: Exploring the Legacy of Tamil Temple Architecture

Quote:
Originally Posted by dileepcm View Post

What makes Thanjai Periya Kovil (Big Temple) the Periya Kovil




Some interesting facts about Brihadishwara Temple
  • One of the largest temples in India, the Brihadeeswara Temple also known as Peruvudaiyar Kovil is located in Thanjavur.
  • Dedicate to Lord Shiva represented as a huge ‘Lingam’, the temple was built around 1010 AD by the Chola king Rajaraja Chola I.
  • Considered as one of the three ‘Great Living Chola Temples’ along with the Gangaikondacholeeswaram Temple and Airavastesvara Temple, the complex is also listed as a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
  • The Peruvudaiyar temple’s plan and development utilises the axial and symmetrical geometry rules.
  • It is classified as Perunkoil (also called Madakkoil), a big temple built on a higher platform of a natural or man-made mounds.
  • The temple complex is a rectangle that is almost two stacked squares, covering 240.79 metres (790.0 ft) east to west, and 121.92 metres (400.0 ft) north to south.
  • One of the main attractions of the temple is a big statue of Nandi, the sacred bull of Lord Shiva.
  • 13 ft high and 16 ft wide, the statue is sculpted out of a single rock.
  • The main temple tower is 216 ft high and the tallest of its kind in the world. The complete structure of the temple is made out of granite.
  • The main ‘Gopurams’ or gateways to the temple are splendid structures with detailed sculptures.
  • The temple’s inscriptions and frescoes narrate the tale of the rise and decline of the city’s fortunes.
  • The Shiva lingam or the idol is covered by the tower and is built with stones that are bonded without the use of mortar.
  • Yet another wonder can be seen above – the stone at the top which weighs nearly 80 tons.
  • The temple stands as a fitting example of the might and power of the Chola dynasty that once ruled over the region.
  • It is believed that the construction of the massive temple complex took only 7 years for completion, which is a huge accomplishment considering the scale of the sculptures, art and the complex itself.
Detailed information.

On top of facts you posted.

The Brihadeeswarar temple’s distance and height are meticulously designed to represent the number of alphabets in the Tamil language. Tamil, a language with a rich history, comprises 247 letters, which are arranged in a specific pattern to create these architectural marvels.
  1. Uyir Ezhuthu(Soul Letters) - 12
  2. Mei Ezhuthu(Body Letters) - 18
  3. Uyir-Mei Ezhuthu(Soul-Body Letters) - 216
  4. Ayutha Ezhuthu – 1
  • The height of Gopuram is 216 feet (Uyir Mei Ezhuthu)
  • The height of Lord Shiva (Lingam inside the temple) is 12 feet (Uyir Ezhuthu)
  • The height of Sivalinga peedam is 18 feet (Mei Ezhuthu)
  • The distance between the Sivalingam and the Nandhi is 247 feet (Total no of Tamil letters includes Ayutha Ezhuthu)
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Old 26th January 2025, 15:23   #5
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Re: Divine Designs: Exploring the Legacy of Tamil Temple Architecture

Wonderful writing. The pictures shows depth of the architecture. It brought back my memories of visiting these places.
If Govt can organise proper guided tours or ensure well informed and educated guides, we all will know more about these wonders.
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Old 26th January 2025, 20:23   #6
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Re: Divine Designs: Exploring the Legacy of Tamil Temple Architecture

Thanks for sharing , as it will help me visit the famous temples which, I have been thinking for many years.
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Old 26th January 2025, 21:07   #7
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Re: Divine Designs: Exploring the Legacy of Tamil Temple Architecture

One of a kind road trip! Next time, do visit Madurai Meenatchi amman temple and Mahabalipuram. It would make for a great experience.
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Old 26th January 2025, 22:08   #8
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Re: Divine Designs: Exploring the Legacy of Tamil Temple Architecture

Awesome. I wish to visit a few soon.

Long back, I visited Vaitheshwaran Kovil, one of the few temples dedicated to Angakar.
I was surprised to see the grandeur of the temple, considering it was so old.

Thanks for sharing, may be one day I will take cue from this trip!
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Old 26th January 2025, 22:33   #9
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Re: Divine Designs: Exploring the Legacy of Tamil Temple Architecture

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Originally Posted by vivee90 View Post
do visit Madurai Meenatchi amman temple and Mahabalipuram.
Sure, infact we wanted to have Madurai too in our trip but there wasn't just enough time. Madurai + further south of TN is something for sure we will cover one day.

Mahabalipuram is not new to me. I have been there so many times during my initial years of living in Chennai. Unfortunately I do not have any photos from those days. Having said - its never boring to plan route along ECR towards Mahabalipuram and further to Pondy.
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Old 26th January 2025, 22:39   #10
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Re: Divine Designs: Exploring the Legacy of Tamil Temple Architecture

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Originally Posted by OffRoadFun View Post
Awesome. I wish to visit a few soon.

Long back, I visited Vaitheshwaran Kovil, one of the few temples dedicated to Angakar.
I was surprised to see the grandeur of the temple, considering it was so old.
I haven’t been there in the past few years, but I think I was there around 2010. I had a friend from Mayiladuthurai who was getting married, and a bunch of then bachelor friends decided to go on a road trip together. Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos from that trip. I also believe I visited Suryanar Kovil during that time.

It’s incredible to think about the number of structures built by our ancestors. They truly are mind-blowing!
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Old 26th January 2025, 23:11   #11
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Re: Divine Designs: Exploring the Legacy of Tamil Temple Architecture

Tanjore-Dharasuram-Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple complexes are maintained by the Archeological survey of India.

The huge Nandi in Brihadeeswara temple is not from Chola era. It was much smaller and was damaged by the army of Malik Kafur. It can still be seen in a corner of the outer prahara. So it was replaced with the current gigantic Nandi by the Nayak dynasty who were originally the satraps of the newly annexed areas appointed by the Vijayanagar empire, after Tanjore-Trichy-Madurai areas were rescued from the short lived Madurai sultanate (Ma'bar sultanate) by prince Kumara Kampanna Odeyar of Vijayanagara (who later ruled the empire as Harihara II). Similar huge Nandis can be seen in Hoysala temples of Karnataka.

Last edited by Aditya : 27th January 2025 at 05:01. Reason: Typo
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Old 27th January 2025, 09:49   #12
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Re: Divine Designs: Exploring the Legacy of Tamil Temple Architecture

Wonderful!. This is a trip that I had dreamed for about 15 years but never materialized. Hope to do it soon.
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Old 27th January 2025, 12:16   #13
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Re: Divine Designs: Exploring the Legacy of Tamil Temple Architecture

Wonderful writeup . I did a similar trip last month and this writeup kind of reminded me of those big temples. Evening is a good time to visit most of these temples as we can enjoy it in both day light and dark. We went to Srirangam, Thanjavur, Gangaikonda Cholapuram and then to Pondicherry. We missed Darasuram and chidambharam instead we went to chettinad area to visit palaces.
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Old 27th January 2025, 14:21   #14
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Re: Divine Designs: Exploring the Legacy of Tamil Temple Architecture

Excellent Writeup and well planned trip.

People are missing one major temple in Kumbakonam which no one talks about.

Pazhayarai

Location Link : https://maps.app.goo.gl/6gm7zUSDP3qNokv96

One need to visit this place to experience the peace it gives.

Divine Designs: Exploring the Legacy of Tamil Temple Architecture-whatsapp-image-20250127-2.18.45-pm.jpeg

Divine Designs: Exploring the Legacy of Tamil Temple Architecture-whatsapp-image-20250127-2.18.45-pm-1.jpeg
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Old 27th January 2025, 14:45   #15
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Re: Divine Designs: Exploring the Legacy of Tamil Temple Architecture

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Originally Posted by Gansan View Post
The huge Nandi in Brihadeeswara temple is not from Chola era. It was much smaller and was damaged by the army of Malik Kafur. It can still be seen in a corner of the outer prahara.
Interesting detail. I must have missed it. Thanks a lot for adding such an interesting fact to this post.

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Originally Posted by rajesh1868 View Post
Wonderful!. This is a trip that I had dreamed for about 15 years but never materialized. Hope to do it soon.
Thanks, hopefully we see your write up soon

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Originally Posted by ashpkd View Post
Wonderful writeup .
Thanks a lot!

Quote:
Originally Posted by ash22 View Post
Excellent Writeup and well planned trip.

People are missing one major temple in Kumbakonam which no one talks about.
Thanks for this. Obviously we missed it but I am sure this is not the only one. Hopefully I can make it next time.
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