The temple is made up of 130,000 tons of granite. The 60-metre tall vimana is still the tallest extant in South India. A European-like figure is carved on the vimana, probably a warning of the arrival of the British.And the most important feature of the building is that its belived,at no time of the day the shadow of the gopuram will not fall on the ground. But it has been proven that the myth is wrong
Facts about the temple — 212-foot vimana, 80-tonne cupbolic dome, more than six foot-high kalasam, 55-foot circumference, big linga and big nandhi — can reveal the grandeur of the temple.
There is no need for a myth to boost the grandeur of the temple, Mr. Rajendran, architect and civil engineer of Thanjavur, says.
It is a wonder that the shadow story has gone deep into the psyche of the people about this wonderful monument.
The `myth-tellers' will say that the shadow of the entire vimana will not fall on the ground.
If someone points out to the shadow, they will change the story and say that the shadow of the 80-tonne cupbolic doom will not fall. Then, they will say the shadow of kalasam will not fall.