Journey Across Southern India

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Wednesday, 19 December 2018 - Got up early to the sound of Hindu prayers, enjoyed breakfast before heading out with Sandosh to explore the monumental Brihadisvara Temple in Tanjore with our guide Raja-marveling at its exquisite granite carvings and towering Dravidian architecture as part of the UNESCO "Great Living Chola Temples", learned about the temple's history and sculptures, wandered through the palace complex and surrounding fort walls, and finished the day with a walk to St. Peter's Church near our hotel before dinner.

5:30AM and we can hear the Hindu prayers begin.

7:00AM breakfast of fruit, dates, toast, honey and coffee.

india2018 — On the way to the Brihadisvra Temple we stopped for a quick picture of a British Clock Tower.

india2018 — We meet Sandosh at 8:00AM and head to the Brihadisvara Temple where we meet Raja, our guide.

The Brihadisvara Temple became one of my favorites because of its beautiful natural granite. The stones from which the temple is carved were rolled up inclines by elephants and men 75 KM. The temple built in 7 years employed many people to complete it.

india2018 — Brihadishvara Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva.

It is one of the largest South Indian temples and an exemplary example of a fully realized Dravidian architecture. Built by Raja Raja Chola I between 1003 and 1010 AD, the temple is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Great Living Chola Temples", along with 2 other temples. We will visit all three before the trip is done.

india2018 — Our good friend Ganesha

india2018 — Many arms

india2018 — Lots of arms

india2018 — The Fort built in the 16th Century surrounds the temple which was built in the 10th Century. The wall was built to protect the city and its temple from Muslim Moghuls.

The courtyard is surrounded by two layers of walls. The outer layer was built by French forces in 1777 not for repairing or renovating purposes, but they used the temple and its premises as an arsenal. Before this wall was built, there was a moat around it. The moat was covered, and the outer wall was raised around the moat.

india2018 — Many people wearing red for Parvati, black or green are pilgrims.

india2018 — Our guide explained the body has 5 senses and each represents one of the five elements: earth, water, fire, wind and sky.

Man and cosmic together in a sign of prayer, "Namaste"

india2018 — Main gate into the temple

It was Marathas who named this temple as Brihadisvara temple which means "Temple of the Great God." The Marathas renovated and built many additional temples and gopurams (tower/gate) to the main temple complex.

The temple is constructed using granite, and the wall surrounding the temple complex was made up of bricks.

india2018 — Relief carvings on the entrance gate

india2018 — A carving in stone of a little elephant

india2018 — Greek, Roman, Mayan and Cholla architecture are incorporated in the temple. Walking the area, you can't help but feel a sense of peace and energy.

The Sanctum is 66 meters high, and the top is 80 tons of solid rock. Construction began in 1003 and was finished in 1010.

india2018 — Small temple with a bull figure

india2018 — Virginia Ann and Cal as tourists

india2018 — 1008 bulls surround the walls around the temple.

india2018 — Tired pup

india2018 — Murals in the ceiling - many painted in natural pigments and several hundred years old

india2018 — Detail of the chimes on a brass pole lantern

india2018 — Nayaka dynasty ceiling mural in the Nandi shrine. Nandi is the bull that Shiva uses to get around.

india2018 — The top of a smaller temple at the site

india2018 — Women pilgrims crowd to receive the blessing from the Brahmin and Genesha before entering the temple

india2018 — As we entered the temple, along with all the faithful, we said our prayers for energy and received our blessings from the Brahmin.

As we walked to view the Sanctum, we listened to the sounds and chants of prayers and singing.

india2018 — Ganesha's mount - for getting around - is a mouse. Here you can see the mouse below the god.

india2018 — Elephant carving

india2018 — Pilgrims coming out of the temple after receiving a blessing.

india2018 — The main Vimana (tower) is a massive 16 story tower of 14 tapering squares 216 feet high.

It contains pillar-like structures and carvings of various Gods and Goddesses of the Hindu religion. Above the Vimana is the shikhara (the top stone) which is octagonal. Above this shikhara is the Kalasa (the pointed brass at the top). The shikhara is nearly 80 tons, and it is generally believed that it was conveyed to the top with the help of an inclined plane which started from four miles north-east to the city of Tanjavur.

india2018 — Dancing Shiva

india2018 — Brihadisvara Temple

india2018 — The entrance gates to the temple - there is a very tall first gate and a smaller second gate.

india2018 — The Lingum represents three parts like the Trinity: Brahmin, Vishnu and Siva.

india2018 — Rear wall of the temple grounds with several places to worship.

india2018 — Frescoes on the rear wall - funny because that is the elephant god, Ganesha, on top of a huge mouse. The mouse being his transport animal.

india2018 — The inscription on the outside of the building includes laws and documentation of the work and workers for the building.

india2018 — Ganesha and his mouse - again

india2018 — Well adorned idol

india2018 — Statues on the dome of a small temple on the grounds.

india2018 — Another of the many bulls on the wall surrounding the temple grounds.

india2018 — Vishnu sculpture in a niche of the temple wall

india2018 — A story in a side temple

india2018 — Ganesha adorned

india2018 — Artwork in a temple to Parvati - Shiva's wife

india2018 — Pillars in the Parvati temple

india2018 — A Brahman in the Parvati temple

india2018 — The Brihadisvara Temple with the entrance on the right

india2018 — One more statue from the Brihadisvara Temple

india2018 — The Thanjavur Maratha Palace Complex today is the official residence of the Bhonsle family that occupied Tanjore from 1674 to 1855.

india2018 — Wall surrounding the Palace

india2018 — Bell tower at the palace

india2018 — Madamaligai Tower

india2018 — One of the high towers at the palace

india2018 — At the Niack Palace, we saw the Bronze Gallery.

The bell tower from the 16th century would ring to tell the citizens the time.

india2018 — Cal and Virginia Ann try to mimic a multi-arm Shiva

india2018 — Broad hallways in the palace

india2018 — Place courtyard and the bell tower

india2018 — Nandi is the gate-guardian deity of Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva. He is usually depicted as a bull, which also serves as the mount to Shiva.

india2018 — Ceiling painting

india2018 — Thanjavur Maratha Palace from a nearby neighborhood which shows the moat (river) on one side of the palace.

india2018 — Bronze work in progress - molten bronze being poured into a mold.

india2018 — St. Peters Church was near our hotel and a short walk before dinner

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