The Big Temple

My friend Anand and I found ourselves in Thanjavur, after visiting the great temples of Madurai and Srirangam. Visiting the big temple was always on my bucket list and finally my wish was about to come true.

We reached the big temple at 4:30 in the evening after visiting the Thanjavur Maratha Palace. Our tummies were full with the delicious food we had at Visweshwarans House. We had already had glimpses of the big temple from the road, and were waiting to see it in its full form.

We entered the big temple from the gopuram, which is a marvel in itself. Dotted with intricate sculptures, it glistened in the evening rays of the sun.

The next few moments were filled with excitement and anticipation, for I would finally see the famous temple that I had only read about in my history text book.

Sometimes, you imagine how a moment you always dreamed about will unfold, in so many different ways, but when that moment finally arrives, you are left unprepared.

This is how we felt, when our eyes glanced upon the imposing structure that is the Brihadeshwara temple. The large vimana 216 feet tall, stood in all its glory, blocking the rays of the sun and leaving us in awe. In fact, it is taller than the Leaning Tower of Pisa, so tall that we had to keep walking back in order to fit it's picture in our mobile phones.

I couldn't help but think how a common man in those times would have felt when he looked up at the great temple, considering the fact that even in the age of skyscrapers, the magnificence of the temple doesn't cease to amaze.

A 1007 years may have passed, but one experiences the same feelings of divinity, awe and wonder that would have been felt then. A 1007 years may have passed, but the grandeur and magnificence of the temple still remains. While the believer can find tranquillity and surrender to Lord Brihadeeswara. The atheist can find his own inner peace, awed by the architectural magnificence of the temple.

The big temple stands testimony to the skill, perseverance and determination of the great minds that made it stand. It is not only an architectural marvel to behold, but it is a link between our past and the present. We still pray here like people of those times would have, we still are in awe as people of those times would have been.

So many generations have passed, so many names have become a dot in the universe of time, empires have risen and fallen, the world has changed, and yet the Big Temple stands, just like it would have when it was first built, unmoved by the sands of time, a beautiful reminder of our glorious past.