5/5 MARARIKULAM T. 3 years ago on Google
Brihadisvara
temple,
seen
in
profile.
The
Brihadeshvara
temple
plan
and
development
utilizes
the axial and symmetrical geometry rules.[26]It
is
classified
as
Perunkoil
(also
called
Madakkoil),
a
big
temple
built
on
a
higher
platform
of
a
natural
or
man-made
mounds.[27] 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.
In
this
space
are
five
main
sections:
the
sanctum
with
the
towering
superstructure
(sri
vimana),
the
Nandi
hall
in
front
(Nandi-mandapam)
and
in
between
these
the
main
community
hall
(mukhamandapam),
the
great
gathering
hall
(mahamandapam)
and
the
pavilion
that
connects
the
great
hall
with
the
sanctum
(ardhamandapam).[28]
The
temple
complex
integrates
a
large
pillared
and
covered
veranda
(prakara)
in
its
spacious
courtyard,
with
a
perimeter
of
about
450
metres
(1,480 ft)
for
circumambulation.
Outside
this
pillared
veranda
there
are
two
walls
of
enclosure,
the
outer
one
being
defensive
and
added
in
1777
CE
by
the
French
colonial
forces
with
gun-holes
with
the
temple
serving
as
an
arsenal.
They
made
the
outer
wall
high,
isolating
the
temple
complex
area.
On
its
east
end
is
the
original
main
gopuram
or
gateway
that
is barrel
vaulted.
It
is
less
than
half
the
size
of
the
main
temple's vimana.
Additional
structures
were
added
to
the
original
temple
after
the
11th
century,
such
as
a
mandapa
in
its
northeast
corner
and
additional
gopurams
(gateways)
on
its
perimeters
to
allow
people
to
enter
and
leave
from
multiple
locations.[28][29] Some
of
the
shrines
and
structures
were
added
during
the
Pandya,
Nayaka,
Vijayanagara
and
Maratha
era,
before
the
colonial
era
started,
and
these
builders
respected
the
original
plans
and
symmetry
rules.
Inside
the
original
temple
courtyard,
along
with
the
main
sanctum
and
Nandi-mandapam
are
two
major
shrines,
one
for
Kartikeya
and
for
Parvati.
The
complex
has
additional
smaller
shrines.[28][30][31]
The
Brihadisvara
temple
continued
the
Hindu
temple
traditions
of
South
India
by
adopting
architectural
and
decorative
elements,
but
its
scale
significantly
exceeded
the
temples
constructed
before
the
11th
century.
The
Chola
era
architects
and
artisans
innovated
the
expertise
to
scale
up
and
build,
particularly
with
heavy
stone
and
to
accomplish
the
63.4
metres
(208 ft)
high
towering vimana.[30][28]
