We are constantly looking at posts related to the Great Temple of Tanjore. Now we will see about the research results of the fifth page in its continuation. Regarding this page, I have posted photos from various angles around the temple for you to see and enjoy.
Similar to the earlier Chola temples, the Tanjore Great Temple also has vastu tortoise heads at the corners of the gopuram’s base.
As I have already said, according to the information I got from my cousin brother, tortoises have been an indispensable practice in Vastu Shastra. The significance of this Tortoise Vastu Shastra can be understood very clearly through this Thanjavur temple.As the turtle shell is very hard and can withstand tremendous weight,it was past of vasthu belief a building with these structures will be strong and last long
Next to these turtle sculptures one can see several Simma yazhli sculptures in a row. Each of those Simma yazhli sculptures were finely carved as if the gods were sitting on them. When looking at each of the Deva sculptures sitting on those Simma yazhli idols, each one had different facial structures and unique to themself. There were more than twenty sculptures carved in a row, one with a sword and a shield in his hand , and another with his hands raised in obeisance.
There are thousands of such sculptures and idols in this Thanjavur temple. How did they make all these sculptures ? Why did they do it ? What is the significance of these sculptures ? This is something known only to the sculptors who made it. But all these sculptures stand out even today as the best examples of the sculpture and science of the sculptors who carved them.
Some say that the temple inscriptions contain information about how the temple was built and how the statues and sculptures were designed. But I did not see that inscription that day. Next time, I thought that I can learn about all the information related to the inscriptions in this temple with the guidance of my spiritual teacher, history teacher and writer Balakumaran. But unfortunately he is not alive now. Next time I will find out about them with the help of a good history teacher and let you know further details.
The temple has huge idols of Devars sitting on lions. When you see the statues of Yazhli lions in these temples, it makes you wonder if they lived in the Cholas period ? Or was the lion called Yazhi in those days ? But in this temple, lions can be seen in larger numbers. Its body looks like a lion but its teeth and tongue look different. Only a careful study of this will give clear details.
As I have already said, Cholas are great devotees of Shiva and hence many Shiva Lingams can be seen all over the temple. A portion of the temple wall is carved with a four-armed goddess. It is worth noting that it has a wheel in its right hand , a conch in its left hand , and another left hand in between, standing on the head of a buffalo and blessing it with its right hand, just like Lord Vishnu . Like this, you can see many idols of Gods with bows and spears in many places of the wall. It appears that these may be statues of warriors of that time. Each idol here has its own meaning. I think you can learn all the details about this with the help of a good guide.
Next I saw a big tank in this temple. On closer inspection, the water used for anointing the god in the sanctum of the temple was arranged to fall into the tank through the drain. The drain that conveys the anointing water to the tank is delicately and elegantly designed as if it were carried on the head of a goblin. This gives us a sense of their artistic nature.
In this temple, the idols of Lord Varuna and Lord Vayu are elaborately decorated. A separate sanctum has also been set up for them. It’s mind-boggling to think how it was possible to do this with such precision in those days when there were no modern machines that challenge the modern age after a thousand years.
The stone pillars in the temple are full of beauty. It is very surprising that every pillar of the temple is designed with decorative arches , sculptures , or inscriptions, without any void, umbrella shape structures and circular shape structures.
Even the staircase coming out from inside the temple is decorated with beautiful carvings. On either side of the stairs are realistically carved elephants blazing with anger and running away carrying someone with their trunk.
There is another separate sanctum sanctorum in the Thanjavur temple complex. The water coming out of its sanctum is arranged as if it were coming out of the mouth of a yazhli and falling into the tank. This was the imagination of the sculptor who designed the tank. The tank is being carried by four yazhlis and the dancing movements of the dancing maidens have been beautifully carved on the tank.