The Shadow of the Big Temple
Legend says the great tower of Thanjavur's Big Temple never casts a shadow on the ground at noon.
What was reported
The Brihadeeswarar temple in Thanjavur was completed in 1010 under the Chola king Rajaraja I. Its main tower rises about 66 metres and is one of the tallest of its kind in the world. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A popular saying, repeated by guides and travel sites, is that the tower's shadow never falls on the ground at midday.
Explanations offered
The tower does cast a shadow. Because Thanjavur is close to the equator, the midday sun is high overhead for much of the year, and the tapering tower's shadow falls mostly onto the temple's own base and courtyard. The legend is a tribute to the builders' skill rather than a literal fact.
- When
- Temple completed in 1010
- Where
- Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India
- Witnesses
- Visitors and guides
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.