Monarch ensured secularism despite being saivite

TIRUCHY: Rajendra Cholan, the most popular son of King Raja Raja Cholan, who had constructed the Big Temple for Brihadeeswarar (Peruvudayar), wanted to construct a similar temple bigger than that of the Big Temple with the fulfilment of astronomical phenomena, but later reduced the height of the tower as a form of respect to his father.

The temple was constructed with eight sections, with a ‘vimanam’ and a ‘nandi’ erected facing the entrance and a 60-foot width and a 13.5-foot-high Shiva Lingam, considered to be the biggest ever.

Since Chandrakantha Kal has been laid around the lingam, the surface appears cold during the summer and hot during the winter. The lotus altar with eight deities is considered very auspicious.

The sunrays which reflect from the Nandhi to the lingam, which can be witnessed from sunrise to sunset and this is seen only at Gangaikonda Cholapuram Peruvudaiyar temple, and this too is very auspicious.

A lion-shaped temple tank, also constructed along the temple, still exists, and the holy water has been preserved in the tank.

The Periya Nayaki idol is erected in the temple and a Durga Amman temple, which has a massive 20 hands carried with arms.

Adjacent to the idol, there are Nataraja idols, Vinayakar idols, and all these stand tall, exhibiting the architectural knowledge of the Cholas.

Similarly, Rajendra Cholan was a strong follower of secularism.

As the Chola kingdom had spread across South East Asian countries that mainly followed Buddhism, Rajendra Cholan constructed Buddha vihars all along the coasts, particularly at Poompuhar harbour that was operational during the time and played a vital role in the trades during the Chola dynasty.