Brihadeeswarar Temple  was  built  by  King  Raja Raja-I of Chola dynasty at Thanjavur, the capital of his Kingdom, in Tamil  Nadu.

Originally named as Rajarajeswaram by Raja Raja Chola, it is now called Brihadeeswaram in Sanskrit and Peruvudaiyarkoil in Tamil. The construction of this granite temple began in AD 1003-04 and it was consecrated in the year AD 1009-10. One of the outstanding temples in South India, the Brihadeeswarar Temple is a tribute to the Chola dynasty's power, wealth  and  artistic merit. It showcases the pure form of Dravida temple architecture and mathematical prowess & symmetry, covering the skills of architecture, sculpture, painting and bronze casting.

The temple occupies an area measuring 800'x 400'. The 64.8 m tall tower over the sanctum sanctorum is testimony to the engineering skill of the Cholas. 13 tier pyramid shaped vimanam (tower) raised from a square base is topped by a huge monolithic cupola carved from an 81.3 tonne block of granite. It was raised with the aid of a 6 km long inclined plane.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva,the sanctum sanctorum houses "Mahalingam" in the shrine, measuring 4 meters in height. A monolithic Nandi chiseled out of a single rock, measures 5.94 meters in length, 2.51 meters in breadth and 3.66 meters in height.

The temple is replete with famous series of paintings by Chola, Nayak and Maratha artists.  Beautiful Chola fresco paintings of about 1000 AD and the Nayaks paintings of 17th century can be seen on the four side walls  of the  central  cell  along  the  circumambulatory passage.

A complete inventory of a number of copper, silver, gold and brass images gifted to the temple by Raja Raja, his family members, officers and others are referred in the inscriptions of this temple.

This temple is under the care of the Archaeological Survey of India from  1946 and  is  being maintained as a protected monument of.national importance. Recognizing its unique architectural excellence, UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage Monument.

India Post is happy to issue commemorative stamp on Brihadeeswarar Temple 1000 years of its construction.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India