Prahadisvarar Temple

Thanjavur, India

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

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Built by Chola emperor Rajaraja I between 1003 and 1010 CE, the Brihadisvara Temple (also known as Prahadisvarar Temple) stands on the south bank of the Cauvery river in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, and ranks among India's largest Hindu temples. This Shaivite sanctuary, constructed in granite in the characteristic Chola architectural style, features a vimana tower reaching 66 metres—one of South India's tallest—rising above the shrine, along with a massive colonnaded prakara corridor and one of India's largest Shiva lingas. Originally built around a moat with gopuras, the main temple, inscriptions, and frescoes celebrating Shaivism alongside Vaishnavism and Shaktism, the complex expanded over subsequent centuries and gained fortified walls after the 16th century. Renowned for its sculptural excellence and as the commissioned site of the celebrated brass Nataraja in the 11th century, it anchors the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Great Living Chola Temples" and remains one of Tamil Nadu's most visited attractions.