Brhadisvara Temple Thanjavur Mahakumbha Abhisekham (DVD)

The film documents Brahadisvara temple, built of granite by Rajaraja chola (985-1012 AD) to honour Shiva as Adavallan an accomplished dancer, and his various manifestations. It has a central shrine. 150 feet square, a vimana 200 feet high, a huge inner courtyard, 250 by 500 feet, wall paintings done under Nayaks, and 108 dance poses of Shiva.

The temple is sanctified periodically, at 12 year intervals, by a celebration of Mahakumbha Abhishekham at the 1000-year-old Chola Temple of Brhadisvara Temple at Thanjavur in Tamil Nodu. The film records rare footage of all the stages of Abhishekham starting from Sankalpa to the pouring of sacred water from the top of the temple. It delves deep into the process of sanctifying the 132 sacrificial parts of Yagyashala. The Kumbha worship and appeasement of nine planets, sanctification of pitchers and Dik puja or worship of cardinal directions are covered in this film. This rare documentation records the great orality and ritualistic heritage of Mahakumbha Abhishekham, and should become a reference milestone in future.