The Brihadisvara Temple — known locally as the Big Temple, or Thanjai Periya Kovil — is one of the great architectural achievements of medieval India. Built by Raja Raja Chola I and consecrated around 1010 CE, it was the largest temple in the world at the time of its completion. The vertical scale is extraordinary: the central vimana (tower over the sanctum) rises 66 metres above the courtyard in 13 tapering tiers, topped by an octagonal cupola carved from a single block of stone.
The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and part of the group designation "Great Living Chola Temples." It remains an active place of worship. The outer courtyard contains subsidiary shrines, a massive monolithic Nandi bull weighing 25 tonnes, and long corridors whose walls are covered in Chola-era paintings — some of the earliest surviving examples of south Indian wall painting, rediscovered under later Maratha additions in the 19th century. The inner sanctum houses one of the largest Shivalingas in Tamil Nadu.
Entry for non-Hindus requires some awareness of protocol — remove shoes before entering the inner compound, and visitors dressed in shorts or sleeveless clothing are sometimes turned away. The temple is best seen in early morning when the light on the granite is golden and the crowds are lighter. An Archaeological Survey of India museum in the outer grounds displays Chola-period bronzes and stonework.