The construction of the temple is believed to have been a celebration in which people from various places around gathered at Thanjavur and became a part, right from the religious inscriptions & sculpting to the construction & manpower. During the several years of construction, the entire population was sufficed with food & shelter, and many cultural events involving music & dance were held. This altogether made the emergence of ‘Thanjai periya kovil’ a lively celebration. These are reflected on the carefully-chiseled stone walls within the fortified complex, where the names of all the people involved have been carved and made its way into history. Even today, the cloister halls around the courtyard that accommodate the historical records in the gallery hymn to the ancient glory of the entire ‘Chola Nadu’ (Chola region).

https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/article/a-marvel-of-dravidian-architecture-the-brihadeeswara-temple/