Image: 1010 CE Brihadishwara Shiva Temple, inscription, built by Rajaraja I, Thanjavur Tamil Nadu India

Description: This is a Shiva temple from the Shaiva Siddhanta tradition of Hinduism, and a part of a UNESCO world heritage site. The circumambulatory passage (the pradakshinapata) houses three major sculptures of Siva. The walls of the pradakshinapata once contained narrative wall paintings. However, in the 17th century these repainted over in Nayak style. The originally painting has been partially restored to expose the Chola period painting by the Archaeological Survey of India. The Chola period paintings is discernible from the Nayak period ones as the former are highly stylised and painted with subtle earth colours while the latter ones are cruder with black-outlined and executed with bright colours. The theme of the Chola paintings is Saivitie, influenced on the lives of the Saiva Bhakti movement saints, the Nayanars. The upper ambulatory pathway depicts 81 dance postures (karanas) of the Natya Sastra of Bharata, out of the 108 karanas discussed in the text.
Title: 1010 CE Brihadishwara Shiva Temple, inscription, built by Rajaraja I, Thanjavur Tamil Nadu India
Credit: Brihadishwara Temple, Dedicated to Shiva, built by Rajaraja I, completed in 1010, Thanjavur (38)
Author: Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
License: CC BY 2.0
License Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
Attribution Required?: Yes