Nandi,
the great Bull, is placed in a mandapam in the forepart of the temple and its size is
striking. It is 12 feet in height, 19 1/2% feet ill length and 8 1/4 feet in breadth,
weighs 25 tons and is made of one stone. This Nandi is considered to be the second biggest
in
the whole of India. The biggest one is in the Lepakshi temple in the Anantapur District of
Andhra State. Tradition says that this Nandi at Tanjore also was imperceptibly growing in
size every day. For preventing its further growth a nail was driven on its back.
In the circumambulating corridor, which borders
the wall separating the sanctum sanctorum, there are Chola fresco paintings, which have
been discovered recently. The entire wall is full of paintings of different periods of the
Cholas and Pandavas, narrating their mythological and social customs of different periods.
The entire corridor is now under the control of the Archaeological Department of the
Government of India. They are taking photographs of the paintings for purposes of studying
the social customs and dress of the Pandya period as distinct from the Chola period. |
