Blogs from Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India, Asia - page 2

Standing right in front of the Great Temple of the Empire Chola, I could see this is very old; it has the rustic ancient architectural design, high walls on both sides, with the only huge high entrance I know just below the Gopuram. The Gopuram has got nine layers of magnificent carvings of Great Gods of Hindus. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, The Destroyer. This temple is named Brihadeeswarar Temple or is also known as Rajarajeswaram Temple, The Imperial Chola Temple built by Raja Raja Chola I in the 11th century, 1010 CE. It is situated on the south end of the Kaveri River in Tamil Nadu. It was the Vijayalaya (850-871 CE) who had defeated the Pallavas, Pandyas and the Muttaraiyas that paved the way for the Cholas to rule this Uraiyur region. ... read more

The main reason I came to India was to travel to Tamil Nadu, India’s southernmost state, to see its temples. I’ve enjoyed the three temple towns I’ve visited – Madurai, Trichy, and Thanjavur – more than Bangalore and Mysore. Partly it’s me; I have adjusted to India. But partly the towns are more manageable and the sights are better. Tamil Nadu is a great place to visit. Tamil Nadu was never conquered by Muslims, in contrast to most of India. It therefore maintained a uniquely vibrant Hindu culture. My guidebook says that Tamil Nadu is one of the few places on earth where a classical culture has survived into the present. Ancient Greek chroniclers wrote about Tamil towns and temples, and their descriptions of religious life largely ring true today. While that may be guidebook hyperbole, ... read more

Après avoir passé quatre heures dans un autobus gouvernementale sans air conditionné… nous étions finalement rendu à Thanjavur. Après s’être trouvé un hôtel à notre goûts, mangé un bon repas et avoir pris une bonne douche froide, nous étions encore une fois parti pour visiter un temple impressionnant qui se nomme Brihadishwara Temple. Ce temple était différent de celui que nous avions visité à Chidambaram. Il n’avait pas quatre entrées principales comme la plupart des autres temples dans le Tamil Nadu, les figurines en pierres n’était pas peinturés mais quand mêmes très belles. Le temple principal qui se trouvait au centre du site, s’élevait jusqu'à 66 mètres. Nous y avons passé toute l’après-midi ainsi que la soirée à examiner les temples, les sculptures et les gens qui s’y promenaient. Nous avons eu la chance de voir ... read more

Over the past 3 days we have travelled through towns and cities of South India and seen the most spectacular Hindu temples. Their age, character and beauty is breathtaking. Hopefully the pictures will give you some idea of their splendour.... read more

I am now in Thanjavur, which is famous for its breathtaking temples and incredible statues. The temples are huge and I think they are just as beautiful as the churches in Rome and Venice. The exterior is so intricately designed that every part of the wall has some type of design on it, there isn’t an empty space. The interior is full of statues of gods. Hinduism has over 100,000 gods!! I went to this Hindu museum and finally learned about all the important gods. It took me forever to find out who the ultimate god was because whenever I asked somebody who the ‘#1 god’ is, they’d all tell me something different. They’d say Vishnu, Siva, Krishna or some other name. I guess it’s because they all think the different gods are most important. Anyway, ... read more