At a distance of 7 Kms from Thanjavur Railway Station & 2 Kms from Bus Station, the Brihadishwara Temple, also known as Rajarajeswaram is a brilliant example of the major heights achieved by Cholas in temple architecture, built in 11th century. It is a tribute and a reflection of the power of its patron RajaRaja Chola I. It remains as one of the greatest glories of Indian architecture. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site 'Great Living Chola Temples'.

The temple tower ('Vimana') is 216 ft high and is among the tallest of its kind in the world. The Shikhara (bulbous structure on the top) of the temple is itself very large and heavy (81.25 tons). There is a big statue of Nandi (sacred bull), carved out of a single rock, at the entrance measuring about 16 feet long and 13 feet high. The entire temple structure is made out of hard granite stones hardly available in Thanjavur area where the temple is located.

Timings: 7 AM - 12 noon & 4 PM - 8.30 PM.