Built magnificently by the Chola King, its very bigness and marvelous sculpture will not fail to astonish any visitor. One wonders how such a temple was built without any modern equipments or tools! The temple took 25 years to be completed. Recently taken over by the Archaeological Survey of India, this temple has been restored beautifully and well worth a visit.

The Big Temple is one of the world heritage Sites and is a remarkable blend of engineering and design. The temple is surrounded by a moat on the east and west and a garden on the north. The main deity Brihadeshwarar with a 14 storey,. 62 m vimana is topped by a octagonal shaped dome carved form a single block of granite. Estimated to weigh over 80 tonnes the dome was hauled into place, in the manner in which the Egyptians built the Pyramids. Two Nandis each 2 m in height stand on either side of the granite stone. One interesting aspect of the design is that it never casts a shadow at noon throughout the year. Another Hugh Nandi, carved out of single block of granite stand guard at the entrance to the shrine. It is 3.7 m high and 6 m long. It weighs 25 tonnes and is the second biggest in India. According to legends this Nandi was growing until a nail was driven into its back. Some of the chambers in the temple have beautiful murals from different periods. The Chitirai festival held in April/May is the main festival.

Ramanathasawamy Temple,Rameswaram

This temple is located near the sea and is one of India´s most sacred shrines. Rameswaram TempleIt is said that a Hindu should complete the pilgrimage of Rameswaram-Kashi-Rameswaram in his lifetime. This temple is most famous for its impressive corridors running 1220m in length and 30m wide lined by symmetrical massive beautifully sculptured pillars. These pillars are remarkable for their complex design and rich carvings. This temple was built in the 16-17th century. Rameswaram is located about 2 hours from Madurai.