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HeritageUNESCO World Heritage Site
Brihadeeswarar Temple
AddressMembalam Rd, Balaganapathy Nagar, Thanjavur
Managed byArchaeological Survey of India (ASI) & Department of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, Tamil Nadu
Today's hoursOpen today 6:30 AM – 8:30 PM
Tickets fromFrom ₹0
TypeHistoric Building
Location
About
Commissioned by the Chola emperor Rajaraja I and completed in 1010 CE, this temple is crowned by a 66-metre granite vimana — among the tallest temple towers in the world for its era. Its single capstone, weighing an estimated 80 tonnes, is said to have been hauled up a specially built 6-km earthen ramp. Part of the Great Living Chola Temples group.
Did you know? The temple's shadow, cast by its towering vimana, never falls on the ground at noon — a feat of precise architectural calculation by 11th-century Chola engineers.
Opening hours
| Mon–Sun | 6:30 AM – 8:30 PM |
Tickets
Free Entry
₹0Facilities
RestroomGuideShopWheelchair Access (Flat temple courtyard)Parking