Postcard from Thanjavur: Millennium-old Indian shrine attracts Hollywood stars but baffles engineers

Brihadeeswara Temple, built without cement or binder, is an architectural wonder of the ancient world

India's Brihadisvara Temple has a grand entrance that is adorned with life-size sculptures. All photos: Taniya Dutta / The National

This elephant is carved out of granite stone

A gigantic statue of nandi, the sacred bull, which is about 13ft high and 16ft wide, was sculpted out of a single rock

A visitor takes a picture of the temple, an architectural marvel

Visitors admire the Chola era bronze of Nataraja, the dancing form of Hindu deity Lord Shiva

The statues, dating back to between the 7th and 14th century, are an exquisite mix of craftsmanship and intricate details

A bronze statue of Parvati, the consort of Hindu deity Lord Shiva, from the 13th century

The temple complex has 64 inscriptions in Tamil, the world’s oldest language

The temple is adorned with frescos, inscriptions and sculptures

The temple was completed in the year 1010

Tourists walk past granite walls with inscriptions

The temple stands tall, at more than 64 metres

Devotees visit an area dedicated to other deities within the complex

The Brihadisvara Temple is only among a few remaining structures from the Chola Dynasty

On the banks of the mighty River Kaveri in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu stands the Brihadeeswara Temple, a 210-foot-high architectural marvel that was the world’s first all-granite shrine when it was built over 1,000 years ago.

The place of worship is dedicated to Shiva, a Hindu deity, and was once the tallest Hindu temple in the country. Its construction in the city of Thanjavur was commissioned by Raja Raja Chola I, the most prominent king of the Chola dynasty. The Chola was one of the longest-reigning dynasties in Indian history and controlled the south, as well as parts of Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka for nearly 1,500 years.

The exact date of construction is not known but the temple existed by the year 1010, according to historical records. It has garnered a reputation as an architectural wonder as it was put together using no mud or binding agents. Instead, it was crafted from interlocking granite stones.

The shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is revered in southern India but was planted on the global tourism map when Hollywood superstars Catherine Zeta-Jones and husband Michael Douglas paid a visit in December last year.

The Brihadisvara Temple is only among a few remaining structures from the Chola Dynasty—one of the longest reigning dynasties that controlled Southern India and parts of southeast Asia and Sri Lanka for nearly 1500 years. Taniya Dutta / The National

Temple power

The rule of the Cholas spanned from 300 BC to 1279 AD and reached its zenith in the 11th century when they ruled most of southern India, but none of the forts and palaces from the empire survive today, making the temple an invaluable piece of cultural heritage.

The Cholas were known for their extraordinary naval warfare and military tactics but also had a penchant for art, literature, education and culture. They built massive stone temples that served as hubs for cultural, economic, political and social activities.

The economies of entire towns were bound up in temples that employed everyone from priests to cooks to gardeners. The shrines also served as banks, offering an interest rate of 12.5 per cent on loans during the 11th century, according to the Smithsonian Institution.

Raja Raja Chola I, who ruled from 985 AD to 1014, was particularly a patron of art. He was a devotee of Shiva and built numerous temples, the most prominent being the Brihadeeswara Temple, a symbol of his power and wealth.

An elephant carved out of a massive granite stone at the temple complex. Photo: Taniya Dutta / The National

Big is beautiful

Brihadeeswara Temple is 240m long and 120m wide and has 13 tiers. Its main tower, a pyramidal spire, rises majestically to an imposing height of 60m. Historians say it was 40 times bigger than other temples of the time.

It was built from 60,000 granite stones that were transported from quarries about 50km away. The shrine is fortified with walls of rock featuring rich carvings and inscriptions. It also hosts a large statue of Nandi, a sacred bull in Hinduism, which is about 13ft tall, 16ft wide and sculpted from a single rock. The gateways, or gopurams, to the temple are also made of granite and bear elaborate sculptures. Inscriptions and frescoes narrate the rise and decline of the city's fortunes, according to the Tamil Nadu government.

A gigantic statue of nandi, the sacred bull, about 13ft high and 16ft wide sculpted out of a single rock faces the main temple. Taniya Dutta / The National

But the most remarkable aspect is a stone at the top of the temple's tower. The stone weighs about eighty tons, leaving engineers and historians baffled over how builders lifted it to that height without the help of modern machines. It is believed a ramp was built that began four miles away, from where the giant stone was hauled to the top by elephants.

The temple has survived the ravages of countless monsoons, six recorded earthquakes and a major fire. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.

Bronze statues

The Cholas made other contributions to art by commissioning bronze statues that are an exquisite mix of craftsmanship and intricate detail formed from rich metal poured into clay moulds.

These statues date back to between the seventh and 14th century. Many are exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and Ashmolean Museum in England, and depict Nataraja, a dancing form of Shiva.

A visitor admires a statue of Nataraja, the dancing form of Hindu deity Lord Shiva, from the Chola era at a museum at the Thanjavur Maratha Palace in the district in Tamil Nadu. Taniya Dutta / The National

They were created by skilled artisans who used a casting technique in which they took a wax model of the sculpture and encased it in clay. Molten metal was then poured into the clay mould, replacing the wax and solidifying it into a beautiful bronze sculpture.

Over the years, many of the statues were stolen and ended up in museums around the world, but through the efforts of activists and artists a number have been returned to India. A substantial collection are on display at a museum inside Thanjavur Maratha Palace.