The great tower of the Brihadisvara temple dominates Thanjavur like a mountain made by hand. Built by the Chola king Rajaraja I and completed around 1010, it rises about 66 metres in thirteen tiers, and its summit is crowned by a single block of granite that tradition says weighs eighty tonnes. Stories say that the builders raised an earthen ramp for several kilometres to haul it into place, though how they did so remains a puzzle that guides enjoy debating. A local legend adds that at noon the tower casts no shadow on the ground, which is a nice tale rather than a fact.
The temple is made entirely of granite, a stone that does not occur near Thanjavur, and the blocks must have been brought from quarries some distance away. Inside the courtyard, a huge Nandi, the sacred bull of Shiva, sits facing the sanctuary, carved from a single rock, and the walls are covered with inscriptions and carvings that record the gifts, the dancers and the musicians who served the temple. It is a place of worship in daily use, with priests, lamps, flowers and the sound of bells, and visitors are asked to dress modestly and remove their shoes.
Thanjavur, about 220,000 people, has fuel, food and places to stay, and the temple is easily reached from the centre. Parking for motorcycles is available near the entrance, and the courtyard is open from morning to evening, with a break at midday. The paving stones get very hot in the afternoon, so bring socks or go early.
The temple is part of the Great Living Chola Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Evening is the best time, when the heat has lifted, the stone glows red-gold, and families gather on the lawns. It is easy to sit for an hour, watching the light change, and to feel the scale of what a medieval dynasty could achieve.