Ramanujacharya

Ramanuja traditionally (1017–1137), also known as Ramanujacharya, was an extraordinaire theologian, philosopher, and scriptural exegete. He is seen as the third and most important teacher (ācārya) in the tradition after Nathamuni and Yamunacharya, and the foremost expounder of Viśiṣṭādvaita.

Historical background

By the 5th century, the South Indian religious scene was diverse, with popular religion existing alongside Vedic sacrifice and non-Vedic traditions like Buddhism and Jainism.

It was in this context that fears of a Buddhist or Jain takeover spurred a large Hindu revival that reached its peak in the 7th century with the famed Bhakti movement.

The revival of several passionate bhakti movements were almost a result of the twelve alvars from the Vaishnavite side. The alvars came from a variety of social strata; their ranks include shudras and one woman. The intense devotional aspect and insistence that caste and sex is no barrier to a relationship with the Divine; a radical departure from the classical Vedic thought previously.

This period saw the rise of the Vedanta school of philosophy. The Advaita, or non-dualist interpretation of Vedanta was developed by Adi Shankara. It argued that the Brahman presented in the Upanishads is the static and undifferentiated absolute reality, and that the ultimately false perception of difference is due to avidyā, or ignorance.

The goal of proving the Vedantic legitimacy of a personal deity and a genuine personal identity essentially characterized Ramanuja's work. It is this synthesis between the classical Sanskrit writings and the popular Tamil poetry that is the source of Ramanuja's system: Ubhaya Vedānta, or "Vedanta of both kinds."

Formative years

Ramanuja was born Ilaya Perumal in a Brahmin family. He was prodigious even when young. To quote from Shyam Ranganathan's article, "From a young age he is reputed to have displayed a prodigious intellect and liberal attitudes towards caste. At this time he became friendly with a local, saintly Sudra (member of the servile caste) by the name of Kancipurna, whose occupation was to perform services for the local temple idol Vishnu. Ramanuja admired Kancipurna's piety and devotion to Vishnu and sought Kancipurna as his guru-much to the horror of Kancipurna who regarded Ramanuja's humility before him as an affront to caste propriety."

Shortly after being married in his teenage years, and after his father died, Ramanuja and his family moved to Kancipuram. There Ramanuja found his first formal teacher, Yadavaprakasha, who had strong affinities to Shankara's Absolute Idealistic Monism (Advaita Vedanta).

From a young age, his intelligence and ability to comprehend highly abstract philosophical points were legendary. Though his new guru was highly impressed with his analytical ability, he was quite concerned by the overemphasis Ramanuja placed on bhakti. After frequent clashes over interpretation, Yadavaprakasa decided the young Ramanuja was becoming too much of a threat and plotted to kill him. However, Ramanuja's cousin Govinda Bhatta discovered the plot and helped him escape.

Ramanuja's childhood mentor, Kancipurna, suggested he meet Yamunacharya. After renouncing the life of a house-holder, Ramanuja traveled to Srirangam to meet an aging Yamunacharya, a philosopher of the Vishishtadvaita school of thought. Yamunacharya had died prior to Ramanuja's arrival. Followers of Ramanuja relate the legend that three fingers of Yamunacharya's corpse were curled. Ramanuja saw this and understood that Yamunacharya was concerned about three tasks.

- Teach the doctrine of Saranagati (surrender) to God as the means to moksha.

- Write a Visishtadvaita Bhashya for the Brahma Sutras of Vyasa as per Visishtadvaita philosophy.

- That the names of Paraśara, the author of Vishnu Purana, and saint Śaţhakopa should be perpetuated.

Ramanuja started traveling the land, having philosophical debates with the custodians of various Vishnu temples. Many of them, after losing the debates, became his disciples. Ramanuja standardized the liturgy at these temples and increased the standing and the membership of the srivaishnava school of thought. He wrote his books during this time.

The seat of Acharya at Srirangam was lying vacant without a successor to take over. He was prevailed upon to assume charge. But, before doing so, he wanted to equip himself with the secrets of the three great Mantras. For this purpose, he approached one " Tiruk Koshtiyur Nambi" who made him come several times before actually instructing him. He cautioned Ramanuja that he should not give out the secrets to all and sundry and if he did so, he would go to hell.

Immediately on receiving the instructions, Ramanuja climbed up to the top of the steeple of the temple and proclaimed to the large gathering of his disciples assembled there the purport of the instruction. He later reasoned that it was better if he went to hell if so many can go to heaven.

Ramanuja, faced many life-threats from the Shaivite Chola rulers. Ramanuja and a few of his followers moved to the Hoysala kingdom of Jain king Bittideva and queen Shantala Devi in Karnataka. Bittideva converted to Srivaishanavism, in some legends after Ramanuja cured his daughter of evil spirits.

Visishtadvaita philosophy

Ramanuja's philosophy is referred to as Vishishtadvaita because it combines Advaita (oneness of God) with Vishesha (attributes).

Adi Shankara had argued that all qualities or manifestations that can be perceived are unreal and temporary. Ramanuja believed them to be real and permanent and under the control of the Brahman.

Ramanuja opines that Advaitins are in the error if they merely understand the Upanishads without knowing or practicing dharma can result in Brahman knowledge. The knowledge of Brahman that ends spiritual ignorance is meditational, not testimonial or verbal.

In contrast to Shankara, Ramanuja holds that there is no knowledge source in support of the claim that there is a distinctionless (homogeneous) Brahman.

Writings

Ramanuja may have written 9 books. They are also referred to as the nine precious gems, the Navarathnas.

His most famous work is known as the Sri Bhasya or Brahma Sutra Bhasya. It is a commentary on the Brahma Sutras.

Samadhi mandir

Ramanuja's thiruvarasu (sacred burial shrine) is the Ramanuja shrine (sannidhi) located inside the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple (periyakoyil or simply koyil) Srirangam, Tamil Nadu within the temple complex, where he attained his Acharyan Thiruvadi (the lotus foot of his Acharya). His mortal remains (thirumeni) have been interred inside the Sri Ramanuja shrine and on top of it his wax look-alike deity has been consecrated and it is anointed with chandan (sandalwood paste) and saffron (kungumappoo).His shrine is open to the general public for darshan.

A living tradition

Ramanuja's achievements are visible to this day. Iyengar Brahmins in South India follow his philosophical tradition. The Tamil prabhandas are chanted at Vishnu temples on par with the Sanskrit vedas. Persons of all communities, and not just Brahmins, are given roles in rituals at Srirangam and other leading temples.

Thirumanancheri - For A Blissful Marriage

Legend

Thirumanancheri is among the popular temples of Lord Shiva, where He is devotedly worshiped as Kalyanasundareswarar and His consort, mother Parvati as Kokilaambal. They are also addressed as 'Arul Vallal' and 'Kuyilinmenmozhiammai'.

As per the legend, Shiva and Parvati have a quarrel and annoyed with Parvati, Shiva curses Parvati to assume a form of a cow and recede to an earthly life. Yet the pangs of separation seemed to have bothered Shiva. Hence he assures her that her brother, Lord Vishnu will aid in resorting her normal form and he( Shiva) at the right time will seek her hand in marriage.

In accordance with the verdict of Shiva, Parvati recedes to an earthly life and amidst her wandering reaches a place called Komal, where Lord Vishnu assumes a form of a cowherd to take care of his sister. He releases her from the clutch of the curse in a place called 'Thiruvaaduthurai' and Parvati sheds her assumed cow's form and takes Her normal form in 'Kuthaalam' in the sacrificial fire of Sage Bharata Muni. Shiva and Parvati then unite in marriage in Thirumanancheri. Shiva is also called as 'Sonavaararivaar' for keeping up His word.

Apart from this legend, it is also believed that in response to Parvati’s wishes to an earthly union in marriage with Shiva, Parvati incarnated herself as the daughter of Bharata Muni. The divine couple tied the knot in Thirumanancheri. Henceforth there is a widespread belief among devotees that this temple answers the prayers of those devotees who face difficulties in getting married as well as those who face problems in their marriage.

An anecdote bearing testimony to the fact is mentioned below.

Two friends due to their close friendship promise to get one's child married to the other in future. In due course of time, one gives birth to a beautiful baby girl and the other to a male child resembling that of a tortoise. The mother of the girl refuses to give her daughter in marriage to her friend's son owing to his peculiar appearance. However the girl overrules her mother while seeking mercy of Lord Shiva in Thirumanancheri with her man. The benevolent lord bestows a normal form to him and unite them in marriage. Henceforth it is believed that the physical appearance of a person that seems to be an obstacle in one's marriage will be taken care of by Kalyanasundareswarar and Kokilaambal by either rectifying it or by blessing with a spouse who has the maturity to look beyond it. Such is the grace of the lord in this shrine.

Worship

People who are to seek blessings for an early marriage carry two garlands, coconuts, lemon, betel leaf, betel nut, sugar and fruits each. After the pooja, one garland is returned to the concerned person along with the other things given for worship. The juice of the lemon is consumed the next day after the bath by the concerned person and the vibhuthi and kumkum are to be smeared on the forehead daily remembering the deities of Thirumanancheri. The garland is to be kept securely and returned to the temple tank once when the wedding is over. This practise has resulted in innumerable speedy weddings. The wedded couple then return to pay their gratitude to the lord.

Temple

The images in the temple are of great beauty. The bronze image of Lord Kalyanasundareswarar dates to 10th century. From the inscriptions the temple can be dated to 10th century. The inscriptions also bear the names of Sembiyan Mahadevi and Parantaka Chola's contribution to the temple. The moat surrounding the temple is said to have been the seven seas that came to witness the divine wedding of Shiva and Parvati.

The temple always presents a crowded appearance with people flocking to seek the grace of the lord for marriage issues and for paying their gratitude for boons received. Thirumanancheri is near Mayilaaduthurai and Kutraalam, based in Tanjavur.

So pay a visit and experience the abounding grace of the lord.

G.N. Baalasubramaniam

G.N. Baalasubramaniam - (1910-1965). There was a festival in the Kapaleeswarar temple, Mylapore, Madras. The top artiste to give the concert of the day did not turn up and the temple authorities were in a quandary. They decided upon the substitute and proceeded to meet G.V.Narayanaswamy Ayyar, Head Master, Hindu High School, Triplicane to depute his young son, Balasubramaniam to take the concert. Narayanaswamy Ayyar could not comprehend the request and was confounded. The authorities pointed out that Ariyakudi Ramanuja Ayyangar shot into fame only in similar circumstances by ascending the dais when the senior Vidwan Madurai Pushpavanam failed to turn up and had never an occasion to look back.

The parallel thrilled the ear of the father. He acceded and the son gave the concert, a memorable debut in which his guru Madurai Subramaniam and Pudukottai Vakil K.Rajamani accompanied on violin and mridangam. Fame and glory crowned G.N.Balasubramaniam quite soon enough as envisaged. Balasubramaniam was born on January 6, 1910 at Gudalur in Mayiladuthurai taluk. He studied in the Wesley College while learning music under his father, a disciple of Karur Chinnaswamy Ayyar and under Madurai Subramania Ayyar.

GNB, as he was popularly known, was a top vocalist of repute in a period which had seen fairly a large number of top-ranking musicians. His bracing, resonant and impressive voice and his brisk brikas and pleasing delivery of kritis transported the audience to a higher plane. His mellifluous voice would traverse the three octaves and the three 'kalas' with ease. His brikas were infectious and he kept his ears and mind open to receive what was best in other musicians. He had high respect for Ariyakudi Ramanuja Ayyangar, the senior artiste of eminence. He had a partiality for Todi, Kalyani and Kamboji and for Andolika, Nalinakanti, Vasantabairavi, Jothiswarupini, etc. His command of ragalakshanas was amazing revealing the quintessence of the ragas at the very outset. His singing was crisp and 'sangatis' measured.

GNB was one of the prominent composers of recent decades. Out of his 250 compositions in Sanskrit, Telugu and Tamil in traditional and his own invented ragas like Chandrahasita, Sivasakti, Amrita Behag, etc., sixty had been published. A gentleman with humility, he would not sing his own compositions in concerts. His respect for values was prodigious. He would return the nominal honoraria he got from the Music Academy as donation. A further feature of his concerts was that he would review the performances of his accompanists and his own. His joy would be immense at the excellence of others. He had a soft heart for rising artistes. His anxiety to satisfy the susceptibilities of the audience was immense.

GNB treated the accompanists with respect; he would tell them as to how much money he received for a concert and shared it equally.

Even as a boy, he had taken part in musical and dramatic activities in the Hindu High School which he joined in the sixth standard. Later he took the lead role of Dushyant in the famous Tamil film 'Sakuntala'. He had played the role of 'Narada' in the films Bhama Vijayam and Sathi Anasuya. He chanced upon a rendition of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and since then both became ardent admirers of each other’s music.

Very many of the earlier performances of the few early years were at some friends’ house parties, college functions etc. A performance was arranged by one of his admirers a well-wisher in Theosophical Society, Adyar under the world famous Banyan Tree (which has been there for centuries and ever green) Srimathi Rukmani Devi Arundale was the patroness of the occasion. Her appreciation and applause were noticed by the press representatives present on the occasion and they gave a glowing report of the concert in the next day dailies and that meant G N Balasubramaniam had arrived and the road to name, fame and fortune were open to him.

He could produce super fast gamakam laden sangathis with strength and weight and with great imagination. But, in such a voice of his, running at so fast a speed the effects of Brighas, twists and turns would come in quick succession that most of the audience, the lay audiences failed to appreciate and felt restless. Those with a musical ear; knew some of the nuances but this is loss to the lay audience. A loss to the musician to see his audience not appreciate the great versatility.

So, Mani, to overcome this, in coming years had restricted the speed, ideally suited to his voice at the same time easily followed by the audience. Thus, his style of Raga elaboration, rendering of standard kritis in the classic traditions and apt swaraprasthana endeared him to the average music hall audience as well as to the knowledgeable musically trained critical audience of his time.

He had taught and groomed during his active years number of his disciples to reach the top grade and among them are Radha Jayalakshmi, M. L. Vasanthakumari, Trichur V. Ramachandran, S.Kalyanaraman.

Apart from being a great vocalist, GNB also composed sevaral krithis. Unfortunately his life was cut short and he passed away in the prime of his musicianship at the age of just 55.

GNB was a king among men; generous, royal, and a musical genius. Perhaps there is no musician who influenced the audience, the accompanists, and fellow artists more than GNB.

Rajaraja Chola the great

Rajaraja Chola I is one of the greatest kings of the Tamil Chola Empire, who ruled between 985 and 1014 CE. He established the Chola empire by conquering the kingdoms of southern India expanding the Chola Empire as far as Sri Lanka in the south, and Kalinga (Orissa) in the northeast. He fought many battles with the Chalukyas in the north and the Pandyas in the south. By conquering Vengi, Rajaraja laid the foundations for the Later Chola dynasty.

He streamlined the administrative system with the division of the country into various districts and by standardizing revenue collection through systematic land surveys. He built the magnificent Brihadisvara Temple in Thanjavur and through it enabled wealth distribution amongst his subjects. His successes enabled his son Rajendra Chola I to extend the empire even further.

Popular Prince

Rajaraja was born as the third child of Parantaka Sundara Chola and Vanavan Maha Devi. After a long apprenticeship of an heir apparent, he ascended the throne after the death of Uttama Chola, his uncle. During the lifetime of his father Sundara Chola, Arulmozhi (later to become the great Rajaraja Chola) had carved a name for himself by his exploits in the battles against the Sinhala and Pandyan armies. Thiruvalangadu copper-plate inscriptions say:

"…Though his subjects…entreated Arulmozhi Varman, he…did not desire the kingdom for himself even inwardly ".

This was to say that Raja Raja was very much legally elected through the kind of democratic process followed by cholas. The Thiruvalangadu inscription again states:

"Having noticed by the marks (on his body) that Arulmozhi was the very Vishnu, the protector of the three worlds, descended on earth, [Uttama] installed him in the position of yuvaraja (heir apparent) and himself bore the burden of ruling the earth…"

Military Conquests

Southern Wars

The southern kingdoms of Pandyas, Cheras and the Sinhalas were often allied against the Cholas. It was the case when Rajaraja came to the throne. Rajaraja's initial campaigns were against the combined Pandya and Chera armies. There is no evidence of any military campaign undertaken by Rajaraja until the eighth year of his reign. During this period he was engaged in organising and augumenting his army and in preparing for military expeditions.

Kandalur Salai

The first military achievement of Rajaraja’s reign was the campaign in Kerala c. 994 CE. In this campaign Rajaraja is said to have destroyed a fleet in the port of Kandalur. Inscriptions refer to the conquest of the Chera king and the Pandyas in Malai-nadu (the west coast of South India). To commemorate these conquests Rajaraja assumed the title Mummudi-Chola, (the Chola king who wears three crowns - the Chera, Chola and Pandya).

Invasion of Lanka

To eliminate the remaining actor in the triumvirate, Rajaraja invaded Sri Lanka in 993 CE. The copper-plate inscription mention that Rajaraja’s powerful army crossed the ocean by ships and burnt up the kingdom of Lanka. Mahinda, the Lankan king whose army had mutinied had to seek refuge. Rajaraja utilised this opportunity and invaded the island. Anuradhapura, the 1400-year-old capital of Sinhala kings was destroyed. The destruction was so extensive the city was abandoned. Rajaraja also built a Temple for Siva in Pollonaruwa. RajaRajan's desire to bring the whole Lankan island under Cholan empire was fulfilled later by his son Rajendra Chola I.

Ganga Wars

Before his 14th year c. 998–999 CE, Rajaraja conquered Gangapadi (Gangawadi) and Nurambapadi (Nolambawadi), which formed part of the present Karnataka State.

The invasion of the Ganga country was a success and the entire Ganga country was under the Chola rule for the next century.

Western Chalukya Wars

The conquest of Gangapadi and Nulambapadi must have brought the Cholas into direct contact with the Western Chalukyas. Both the Cholas and the Western Chalukyas were powerful and strong. Under these circumstances any slight cause would have been enough to provoke a quarrel. Also, the Chalukyas were being pressed from the north by the hostile Paramaras of Malwa and must have found it difficult to sustain against themselves against two powerful enemies attacking from two opposite directions.

Rajaraja evidently attached much importance to his victory over Satyasraya, as he is said to have presented gold flowers to the Rajarajesvara temple on his return from the expedition.

War against Vengi

Some of chola inscriptions of Raja Raja note that during a war against vengi, the king himself took initiative and killed a certain ruler called bheema ruling that area because " he felled one of his commanders". Thus even if cholas had reigned supreme in eastern deccan it was certainly a military vision that vengi served as a military base for cholas. Cholas built naval bases down south in Pandyan country and also near Suchindram and Colombo in lanka.

Kalinga conquest

The invasion of the kingdom of Kalinga must have occurred subsequent to the conquest of Vengi. Rajendra Chola, as the commander of the Chola forces invaded and defeated the Andhra king Bhima.

Naval Conquests

One of the last conquests of Rajaraja was the naval conquest of the ‘old islands of the sea numbering 12,000’, the Maldives.

The increasing realisation of the importance of a good Navy and the desire to neutralise the emerging Chera Naval power were probably the reasons for the Kandalur campaign in the early days of Rajaraja’s reign.

Thanjavur Temple

Rajaraja’s great reign is commemorated by the magnificent Siva temple in Thanjavur, called Raajarajeswaram - the finest monument of this period of South Indian history. The temple is remarkable both for its massive proportions and for its simplicity of design. It is now recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, forming part of the Great Living Chola Temples site.

After its commemoration the great temple and the capital had close business relations with the rest of the country and acted as a centre of both religious and economic activity. Year after year villages from all over the country had to supply men and material for the temple maintenance.

Administration

From the 23rd to the 29th year of Rajaraja’s rule his dominions enjoyed peace and the king apparently devoted his energies to the task of internal administration. The building of the Rajarajesvara temple in Thanjavur and the various endowments and gifts to it must have occupied a prominent place in the king’s mind during these years.

Rajaraja carried out a revenue and settlement during the final years of his reign. Inscriptions found in the Thanjavur temple bear testimony to the accuracy of this operation.

Rajaraja also perfected the administrative organization by creating a strong and centralised machinery and by appointing local government authorities. He installed a system of audit and control by which the village assemblies and other public bodies were held to account while not curtailing their autonomy.

Military Organisation

Rajaraja created a powerful standing army and a considerable navy which achieved even greater success under his son Rajendra. The prominence given to the army from the conquest of the Pandyas down to the last year of the king’s reign is significant, and shows the spirit with which he treated his soldiers. It is evident that Rajaraja gave his army its due share in the glory derived from his extensive conquests.

Standardised Inscriptions

History owes Rajaraja the desire on his part to record his military achievements in every one of his inscriptions and thus had down to posterity some of the important events of his life. As far as we know at present Rajaraja was the first king of South India to introduce this innovation into his inscriptions. Before his time powerful kings of the Pallava, Pandya and Chola dynasties had reigned in the South, and some of them had made extensive conquests. But none of them seems to have thought of leaving a record on stone of his military achievements.

The idea of Rajaraja to add a short account of his military achievements at the beginning of every one of his inscriptions was entirely his own. His action in this respect is all the more laudable because his successors evidently followed his example and have left us more or less complete records of their conquests. But for the historical introductions, elucidating the history of Southern India would have been well nigh impossible.

Religious Policy

An ardent follower of Siva, Rajaraja was nevertheless tolerant towards other faiths and creeds. He also had several temples for Vishnu constructed. He also encouraged the construction of the Buddhist Chudamani Vihara. Kundavai Pirattiyar, sister of Rajaraja, built a Jaina temple called Kundavai Devi Jinalaya.

Personal Life and Family

Rajaraja was born Arulmozhi Varman and was the third child of Parantaka Sundara Chola. His elder brother Aditya II was assassinated c. 969 CE. Rajaraja spent a lot of time in the company of Kundavai, his elder sister and must have much admired her.

Rajaraja had a number of wives.The mother of Rajendra I, the only known son of Rajaraja, was Vanavan Maha Devi, Princess of Velir. Rajaraja died in 1014 CE and was succeeded by Rajendra Chola I.

Brihadishwara Temple

The Brihadishwara Temple is also known as Rajarajeswaram, at Thanjavur, is the world's first complete granite temple and a brilliant example of the architectural excellence of the Cholas. It is a tribute to the power and glory of its patron RajaRaja Chola I and remains as one of the greatest glories of Indian architecture. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Great Living Chola Temples" and an ultimate testimonial for the Vishwakarmas architectural cognizance in planning and sculpting this temple.

The temple stands amidst fortified walls that were probably added in the 16th century. The 'Vimana' - or the temple tower - is 216 ft (66 m) high (about 70 meters) and is among the tallest of its kind in the world. The Kalash or 'Shikhara' (apex or the bulbous structure on the top) of the temple is of monolithic granite weighing 81.25 tons. There is a big statue of Nandi (sacred bull), carved out of a single rock, at the entrance measuring about 16 feet long and 13 feet high. The entire temple structure is made out of hard granite stones, a material sparsely available currently in Thanjavur area where the temple is located.

History

The temple had its foundations laid out by the ambitious emperor Chola king Rajaraja Chola I in 1002 CE. According to tradition, the temple was built by the Chola king RajaRajeshwar in compliance of a command given to him in his dream. Although there were later modifications by the Chalukyan and Pallavas, the scale and grandeur is in the Chola tradition. Temples from this period and the following two centuries are an expression of the Chola wealth, power and artistic expertise.

The Brihadishwara Temple was built to be the royal temple to display the emperor's vision of his power and his relationship to the universal order. The temple was the site of the major royal ceremonies such as anointed the emperor and linking him with its deity, Shiva, and the daily rituals of the deities were mirrored by those of the king. The temple maintained a staff of 600 people in various capacities. Besides the Brahmin priest, these included record-keepers, musicians, scholars, and craftsman of every type as well as housekeeping staff.

The temple is an example of the Dravida type of temple architecture and testify to the brilliant achievements of the Chola in architecture, sculpture, painting and bronze casting.

Temple complex

The temple complex sits on the banks of a river channeled to make a moat around the complex's outer walls, the walls around it more like a fortress. The complex is made up of many structures aligned axially. The complex can be entered either on one axis through a five-story gopuram or with a second access directly to the huge main quadrangle through a smaller free-standing gopuram. The massive size of the main sikhara (although it is hollow on the inside and not meant to be occupied), is 63 meters in height, with 16 severely articulated stories, and dominates the main quadrangle. Pilaster, piers, and attached columns are placed rhythmically covering every surface of the shikhara.

Main temple

The apex of the tower is the octagonal single stone granite piece of 81.25 tons

The main temple is in the center of the spacious quadrangle composed of a sanctuary, a Nandi, a pillared hall and an assembly hall (mandapas), and many sub-shrines. The most important part of the temple is the inner mandapa which is surrounded by massive walls divided into different levels by sharply cut sculptures and pilasters for deep bays and recesses. Each side of the sanctuary has a bay emphasizing the principle cult icons.

The garbhagriha or the sanctum sanctorum, is the inner most sanctum and focus of the temple where an image of the primary deity, Shiva, resides. Inside is a huge stone linga. Only priests are allowed to enter this inner most chamber. In the Dravida style, the garbhagriha takes the form of a miniature vimana; as the inner wall together with the outer wall creating a pradakshina around the garbhagriha for circumambulation (pradakshina). The entrance is highly decorated. The garbhagriha is square and sits on a plinth, its location calculated to be a point of total equilibrium and harmony as it represents the microcosm of the universe. In the center is placed the image of the deity.

Origin of Idea

The wish to build a mammoth temple like this is said to have occurred to Raja Raja while he stayed at ealam (today's Sri Lanka) as a war head. He saw a lot of Buddha statues that were very tall and huge, which would have made him wish to build a great temple to his cordial deity Shiva in such a large scale.

Other

Not only the temple and the "moolavar", (prime deity, Shiva) but all other deities (Koshta Moorthigal) like Dakshinamurthy, Suriya (Sun), Chandra (Moon) are very huge sized. Especially, Brahadeeswar temple is one of the rare temples having statues for "Ashtadhig Balakas" [Lords of all Eight Directions [Indra, Varuna, Agni, Eesana, Vayu, Niruthi, Yama, Kubera], each of which is a life like status i.e approximately 6 feet tall.

Whichever way you look at it – either peity or an eye for architectural excellence – Brihadishwara temple is a place you cannot afford to miss.