If one were to look at the grandeur of Temples in South India, one would be awestruck on their antiquity ,the calmness they radiate, architectural design of the temples,aligning the temples with Cosmic Events, Astronomy,intricate carvings, sculptures seemingly without microtools, selection of specific stones for the idols some of them radiating heat in winter pleasant breeze in summer…..Add to this the number of sculptures in a temple, for instance Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple has over 33,000 Sculptures.These temples also served as centres for social activities accommodating people inside temple premises during natural calamities. The temples had an Eco system of its own with Artisans associated with the temple, living in the premises, as it was in Thanjavur Big Temple.Temples also were places history was recorded by Kings about them, their rule social conditions and the donations and procedures to be followed in the temple.

The largest active temple in the world Angkorvat temple,built by an Indian King is at Cambodia. The second largest is in Sri Rangam, dedicated to Sri Ranganatha,a manifestation of Vishnu. Opinions vary as to whether Thiruvaarur Thiagaraja temple is bigger. To me, it doesn’t matter.It is for the statisticians.I shall mention some astounding information about Thiruvaarur Thiagaraja,a Manifestation of Siva.

• Size- Thirty Three Acres
• Nine Huge Temple Towers
• Eighty small Towers.
• Twelve Walls
• Thirteen Mantaps Halls
• Fifteen Wells
• Three Prakara,for Circambulation
• Three huge Gardens
• Over 100 Small Temples,Sannidhis
• 86 Ganesha Idols
• Three hundred sixty five Sivalingas

33 ஏக்கர் நிலப்பரப்பில் அமைந்துள்ள, மிகவும் பிரம்மாண்டமான இக்கோயிலில், 9 ராஜ கோபுரங்கள், 80 விமானங்கள், 12 பெரிய மதில்கள், 13 மிகப்பெரிய மண்டபங்கள், 15 தீர்த்தக்கிணறுகள், 3 நந்தவனங்கள், 3 பெரிய பிரகாரங்கள், 365 லிங்கங்கள் (இவை வருடத்தின் மொத்த நாட்களை குறிப்பதாக சொல்கிறார்கள்), 100க்கும் மேற்பட்ட சன்னதிகள், 86 விநாயகர் சிலைகள், 24க்கும் மேற்பட்ட உள் கோயில்கள் அமைந்துள்ளன. இந்தக் கோயிலை சுற்றிப் பார்க்கவே, முழுமையாக ஒருநாள் ஆகும்https://ta.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%82%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D_%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%AF%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B0%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9C%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D_%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8B%E0%AE%AF%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%8D