Thanjavur ( aka Tanjore ) is famous for the Brihadeeswara Temple built by Rajaraja Chola (985 A.D - 1012 A.D), the first sailor king of India. The Brihadeeswara Temple also known as the Big Temple is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The temple is enclosed in two courts, surmounted by a lofty tower and including the exquisitely decorated shrine of Subrahmanya. Among the other historic buildings is the Vijayanagara fort, which contains a palace that was expanded by the Maratha raja Sarfoji with an armoury, a Bell Tower and the Saraswathi Mahal Library, which contains over 30,000 Indian and European manuscripts written on palm leaf and paper.
The greatest of Chola emperors Rajaraja-I (985 A.D - 1012 A.D) the son of Sundara Chola (Parantakaa-II) and Vanavanmahadevi built this magnificent temple named Brihadisvaram at Tanjore - the capital of Chola dynasty. In later period Maratta and Nayakar rulers constructed various shrines and gopurams of the temple.
From the epigraphical evidence it is known about Rajaraja-I started building this temple on his 19th year and completed on 275th day of his 25th year. It took just 6 years to complete this work on 1010 A.D.
Rajaraja-I named this temple as Rajarajesvaram and the deity Shiva in Linga form as Peruvudaiyar, the temple is also known in the deity's name as Peruvudaiyarkovil (in Tamil language). In later period when the Sanskrit language was more popular during the Maratta rule the temple was named in Sanskrit as Brihadisvaram and the deity as Brihadisvara. Now-a-days it is also known as Thanjai Periyakovil (Tanjore Big temple).
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