Brihadisvara Temple / Sri Brihadeeswarar Temple / Thanjavur Periya Kovil, the known and Unknown facts, of Sri Rajarajecharam, a Ponniyin Selvan Meet 2017, Thanjavur 2017. Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu.

25^th September 2017.

Whenever I go to the temples, apart from worshipping Lords Shiva and Vishnu,  I used look the temples in historical and heritage point of view.  This  Thanjavur Periya Kovil has its own myths and facts, since this 11^th century Temple built by the Chozha dynasty King Rajarajan I, is still in worship. The temple had witnessed both rise  and fall of Chozha dynasty, invasion by Malik Kafur, taken care by Pandya Kings, maintenance by Danish Kings, Vijayanagara Kings contributions and  maintenance of Maratha Kings till date. The temple was also used as a bunker by  British during world war. Some of the statues  and Mandapams were destroyed during Muslim invasion. Due to non availability of stones the damages were rectified to some extend, in-spite of the renovations the temple looks unfinished. For reconstruction some of the old temples near by villages were dismantled stones & pillars are used. Some of the Myths and Facts are written in my last years post. 

  

This year Mr Venkatesh took us to the front mandapam where a squatting lion pillar was installed. He pointed out the the nails of the lion and told this pillar may belongs to Pallava period. Since there was no Pallava period living temple near by, from where this pillar was brought, is not known.

 

Mr Venkatesh also showed us a relief chiseled on the mandapam wall. The identity of the relief is also not known... but can we guess it is Raraja Chozha...?

Who could it be?.. Rajaraja Chozha...?

Mrs R K lakshmi had shown us the relief of Kuda Koothu, a form of dance posture of Lord Shiva, a kudam ( pot ) on the head and another on the hand without holding  and she also spared her lens  to take photograph.  

Kuda koothu.

Mr Sadasivam & Mr Srinivasan pointed out the letters written on the north side exist of the Shiva's sannidhi. It is written as ARP. - பாதுகாப்பிடம் ( Air Raid Protection ). It was told that this temple was used as a bunker or a safe zone for the army personnel to hide during world war-II.

The north side exist where ARF is written  

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---