Brihadeeswarar Temple

In Tamil Nadu’s city of Tanjavur you can find the world’s very first Granite Temple. It is called the Brihadeswara Temple and was built during the rule of the Chola Dynasty. Work began on the temple in 1004 AD and took five years to complete.

The most majestic aspect of the temple is its humbling shikhara or summit. The structure was formed out of one enormous piece of granite, which weighed over 80 tons.

Tamil Nadu boasts some of the grandest Hindu temples of Dravidian architecture. The temples are famous for their intricate carvings and architecture and their towering ‘gopurams’. The Brihadishwara Temple in Thanjavur, the Airavateswara temple in Darasuram and the Shore Temple, along with the collection of other monuments in Mahabalipuram have been declared as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Learn more about Tamil Nadu and our homestays.