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Source: Britannica

Context

The Prime Minister of India recently worshiped at the Brihadisvara Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Tamil Nadu, calling it a "deeply spiritual experience."

About Brihadisvara Temple

• It is also referred to as Peruvudaiyar Kovil and is located in Thanjavur. 
• A testament to the Chola Period of Dravidian architecture.
• Dedicated to Lord Shiva, portrayed as a massive 'Lingam'.
• The temple was constructed about 1010 AD by Chola monarch Rajaraja Chola I. 
• The temple's inscriptions and frescoes depict the growth and fall of the city's prosperity. 
• It is also designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• It is one of the three 'Great Living Chola Temples', alongside the Gangaikondacholeswaram Temple and the Airavatesvara Temple.

Architectural Significance of Brihadisvara Temple

• It is a Dravidian-style temple.
• The temple's pyramidal vimana is almost 200 feet (60 meters) tall and represents Mount Meru, the mythological mountain at the center of the universe in Hindu cosmology.
• The sikhara, a cupolic dome, is octagonal and stands on a single block of granite measuring 7.8 m square and weighing 80 tons.
• One of the temple's most impressive features is the massive statue of Nandi, Lord Shiva's sacred bull.
• Its inscriptions and frescoes depict the growth and fall of the city's fortunes.

Source: Economic Times