Top 4 UNESCO World Heritage Temple and Monuments You Must Visit in Tamil Nadu
World Heritage Sites as listed by UNESCO, means the world's most popular places which serve as a specimen of a particular culture and tradition. These places are selected to be protected and preserved by the UNESCO. It may include various temples, construction, monuments, and more. Tamil Nadu is eminent for its beautifully constructed buildings, monuments and temples constructed by the rulers during the ancient period. There are four world heritage sites in Tamil Nadu listed under the 29 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This article gives you complete information about those sites in Tamil Nadu.
Airavateswara Temple, near Kumbakonam
Also known as the Great Living Chola Temple, was acknowledged as one of the world heritage sites in the year 2004 and is located in the town named Darasuram near Kumbakonam. This temple is a Hindu Saivacharya Temple built be the great Rajaraja Chola II in the 12th century. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, who is known as Airavateshwara in this temple. The shape of the temple delineates a chariot and the other deities of this temple includes Lord Vishnu, Lord Ganesha, Goddess Durga, Goddess Saraswati and more. The temple contains some extremely beautiful and delicate stone carvings. You can also find various inscriptions in the temple about the 63 Saivite saints.
Brihadeeshwarar Temple, Thanjavur
Thanjavur is a district which is usually acclaimed for its art and architecture and is one of the most visited tourist places in South India. The Brihadeeshwarar Temple, also known as the Big temple or Rajarajesvaram temple, was another temple built by Chola's in 1010 AD. The temple was acknowledged as the UNESCO World Heritage Site in the year 1987. The temple is devoted to Lord Shiva, who is named as "Peruvudaiyar" in this temple. This temple boasts various titles like “the first granite temple in the world”, “the temple with tallest temple tower in the world” and it is also the exemplary example of the Tamil architecture and Chola's temple architecture. The huge temple tower, sculptures and inscriptions all exhibit the traditions of Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism. The temple also has various specialties like the largest Shiva Linga in India, vast corridor, massive Nandi or bull which weighs about 25 tons. The temple also contains other shrines dedicated to other deities like Parvati, Lord Ganesha, Dakshinamurti and others.
Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple, Jayakondam
Gangaikonda Cholapuram served as the capital of the Chola Dynasty during the period of Rajendra Chola. He built the most popular Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple in opposition to his father’s Brihadeeshwarar temple, after he seized the Ganga dynasty. This temple exists as a World Heritage Site in the Ariyalur district of Tamil Nadu. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and stands as an exceptional exemplar of the Chola's architecture. This temple is located in close proximity to the Brihadeeshwara temple but is smaller in size. The temple contains breathtaking sculptures and carvings that decorate the walls and ceilings of the temple.
Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, Chennai
Mahabalipuram, also named Mamallapuram, is located on the coast of Bay of Bengal, at a distance of 57 km from Chennai. The group of monuments at Mahabalipuram was acknowledged as the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the year 1984. This group of monuments was built by the great Pallava Kings in the 7th and 8th century and they exhibit the Dravidian architecture. These monuments are also known for their carvings and monolithic sculptures.
A few of the group of monuments here includes
1.Descent of the Ganges - giant open-air reliefs
2.Arjuna's Penance - sculptured scenes of men, gods, animals and others
3.Pancha Rathas - Dedicated to the five Pandava Brothers
4.Shore temple - Devoted to Lord Shiva
5.Seven Pagodas - Seven granite temples
Other notable structures are Varaha cave temple, Mahisamardini Mandapam, Adivaraha cave and Thirukadalmallai. All the monuments and temples here stands as a true evidence of architectural creativity and craftsmanship. All these specialties make Mahabalipuram the most beautiful and frequently visited tourist attractions in South India. One cannot forget to enjoy the nature of Mahabalipuram. You can book a stay in SeaBreeze Mahabalipuram beach resort and enjoy a stroll over the beach, the cool breeze of the sea and the blazing sun. There are a lot of beach resorts that offer a private beach with adventurous beach activities to entertain people of all ages.