RAS question
The Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur was built by:
Correct answer: (D) Rajaraja I.
The Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur was built by the Chola emperor Rajaraja I and inaugurated in AD 1009-10.
Explanation
The Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur, also known as the Rajarajesvara Temple, belongs to Rajaraja I, not to a later or earlier Chola ruler. The Archaeological Survey of India describes the Thanjavur Brihadisvara as the grandest creation of Rajaraja and says he inaugurated it himself in his 19th regnal year, AD 1009-10, naming it after himself as Rajesvara Peruvudaiyar. This matches the standard date of 1010 CE given in the explanation. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage monument and a major example of Dravidian architecture, noted for its 59.82-metre-high vimana.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Kulottunga I ruled later, while the Thanjavur Brihadeeswarar Temple is tied to Rajaraja I's reign and inauguration in AD 1009-10.
- (B) Rajendra I is associated here with the Brihadisvara Temple at Gangaikondacholapuram, not the Thanjavur Brihadeeswarar Temple.
- (C) Parantaka I was an earlier Chola king, whereas the Thanjavur temple was built under Rajaraja I.
Concept
This tests Chola temple architecture and ruler-patron attribution, a recurring RAS theme because medieval South Indian dynasties are often asked through monuments. The key memory hook is Rajaraja I for Thanjavur and Rajendra I for Gangaikondacholapuram.