Shiva’s representation is as a gigantic stone lingam. The inscriptions and frescoes on the walls of Brihadeeswarar Temple record the rise and fall of the city’s fortunes. Later, like the rest of the country, Thanjavur too fell into British hands. In 1535, the Vijayanagara king installed a Nayak king and the clan, called Tanjore Nayaks, reigned till the mid-17th century. The Chola reign declined and they were ousted by the Pandyas who were in turn thrown over by the Vijayanagara Empire.
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The temple is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Tamil Nadu. The entire temple structure is made out of granite, the nearest sources of which are about 60 km to the west of temple. There is a big statue of Nandi (sacred bull), carved out of a single rock measuring about 16 ft (4.9 m) long and 13 ft (4.0 m) high at the entrance. The Kumbam (the apex or the bulbous structure on the top) of the temple is carved out of a single rock and weighs around 80 tons.
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The vimanam (temple tower) is 216 ft (66 m) high and is the tallest in the world. The temple stands amidst fortified walls that were probably added in the 16th century. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the “Great Living Chola Temples”, with the other two being the Brihadeeswarar Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Airavatesvara temple. Built by emperor Raja Raja Chola I and completed in 1010 AD, the temple turned 1000 years old in 2010. It is one of the largest temples in India and is an example of Dravidian architecture during the Chola period. It is also known as Periya Kovil, RajaRajeswara Temple and Rajarajesvaram.
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Brihadeeshwara Temple ( Peruvudaiyar Kovil) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in Thanjavur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.