Tanjore
General Information
Thanjavur was the ancient capital of
the Chola kings whose origins, go back
to the beginning of the Christian era.
Power struggles between these groups
were a constant feature of their early
history, with one or other gaining the
ascendancy at various times. The Cholas'
turn for empire building came between
850 and 1270 AD and , at the height
of their power. Probably the greatest
chola emperors were Raja Raja who was
responsible for building the Brihadishwara
Temple ( Thanjavur main attraction )
and his son Rajendra-I whose navy competed
with the Arabs for controls of the Indian
Ocean trade routes and who was responsible
for bringing Srivijaya under Chola control.
Thanjavur District is the Rice Bowl
of Tamil Nadu. The Big Temple and the
other famous temples in the district
are known all over the world. Thanjavur
was the cultural capital of the country
in 1790. Thanjavur gained prominence
during the period of Chola Kings, who
made it as their capital. Thereafter,
it was ruled by Nayaks and Maratta Kings,
who nurtured art and culture. The cultural,
the architectural and the scholarly
pursuits of these rulers are reflected
in the great monuments like Grand Anaicut,
Big Temple and Serfoji Mahal Library
etc. in the district.
Thanjavur rose to glory during the
later Chola reign between the 10th and
14th Centuries and became a centre of
learning and culture. It is the headquarters
of Thanjavur district, the 'Rice Bowl'
of Tamil Nadu. It is also known for
its exquisite handicrafts, bronzes and
South Indian Musical Instruments.
Main
Sightseeing of Tanjore
Brihadeshwara Temple &
Fort : built by great Chola
king in the 10th century it is an
outstanding example of Chola architecture
and is listed in world heritage. On
the top of the apex of 63 metres high,
a dome is said to be constructed from
a single piece of granite, weighing
an estimated 81 tones. The dome was
hauled into place along a 6 km earthwork
ramp in a manner similar to the one
used by the Egyptian Pyramids. The
temple has been the sense of continuous
worship for over thousand years. Only
Hindus are allowed inside.
Thanjavur Palace & Museum
: the palace near the temple is a
vast building of masonry built by
the Nayakas around 1550 and partly
by the Maratha. Two of the palace
towers, the Armoury and the observation
tower are visible from all parts of
the city. The palace houses an art
gallery, a library and a hall of music.
The art gallery occupies the Nayak
Durbar Hall. It has a superb collection
of Chola bronze statues from the 9th
to 12th centuries. The Saraswati mahal
Library is next door to the gallery.
Over 30,000 Indian and European manuscripts
written on palm leaves and paper are
preserved in the Saraswati Mahal Library.
Art Gallery : In
the Palace there are a number of granite
and bronze statues of the Chola period.
Visiting Times: 9.00 - 13.00 hrs and
15.00 - 18.00 hrs.
Saraswathi Mahal Library
: In another section of the
Palace is the library where over 30,000
palm leaf and paper manuscripts in
India and European languages are preserved.Visiting
Times: 9.00 - 13.00 hrs and 14.00
- 17.00 hrs.Wednesday Holiday.
Tamil University (7 Kms.)
: Established in 1981, is
engaged in research and advanced study
in Tamil.
Hall of Music :
Also in the Palce is this acoustically
perfect ancient music hall.
Schwartz Church :
(In the Palace garden) Built in 1779
AD by Rajah Serfoji in token of his
affection for the Rev.C.V.Schwartz
of the Danish mission.
Sivaganga Tank :
Situated near the palace this tank
is known for its sweet water.
Go to Top
Excursions
from Tanjore
Thirukandiyur
(10 kms.) : Temples of Brahmasirekandeswarar
and Harshavimochana Perumal.
Kumbakonam (36 kms.) :
Famous for Sarangapani, Kumbeswarar,
Nageswara and the Remaswamy temple.
Mahamagam congregation takes place once
in 12 years, last held in 1992.
Tharangambadi (Tranquebar)
(105 kms.): This coastal town
was a Danish settlement from 1624 to
1825. There are two churches and a fort.
This is one of the special tourist areas.
Swamimalai (32 kms.) :
One of the six Abodes (Arupadaiveedu)
dedicated to Lord Subramanya.
Darasuram (34 kms) :
This temple is dedicated to Lord Siva,
was built by Rajendra Chola. Darasuram
is also a silk weaving centre.
Thirubuvanam (45 kms) :
13th Century Chola temple dedicated
to Lord Siva.
Thiruvaiyaru (13 kms.) :
Where the famous Thyagaraja lived and
attained etesnity. A music festival
is held here every January in honour
of the saint.
Nagore (88 kms.) :
A renowned Muslim Pligrim centre.
Vailankanni (90 kms.) :
Roman Catholic Pilgrim centre.
Kodikkarai (Point Calimere)
(112 kms.) : This place is
noted for its congregation of migratory
water fowl, particularly flamingoes
from November to January. Other wildlife
like blackbuck and wild ponies are also
found here.
Vedaranyam (104 kms.) :
Festivals, on full moon days in the
Tamil Months of Adi (July-August) and
Thai (January-February) attract pilgrims
from all over Tamil Nadu.
Manora (65 kms.) :
The 8-Storey victory tower was built
by Rajah Serfoji in 1814.
Nagapattinam (83 kms.) :
Nagapattinam is an important port town.
TTDC runs a Hotel Tamil Nadu here.
Tiruvarur (55 kms.) :
The Thyagarajaswami Temple here has
the biggest temple chariot in Tamil
Nadu. This is the birth place of Saint
Thyagaraja - One of the musical trinity.
Thirunallar (101 kms.) (Pondichery
UT) : The famous saturn temple
town..
How
to reach Tanjore?
By Air : The nearest
airport , Tiruchirappalli, is about
58 km away and is connected by Indian
Airlines and Air Lanka with Colombo.
Indian Airlines also connects Trichy
with Madras and Madurai daily.
By Rail : Thanjavur
is well connected by rail with Trichy
, Madurai, Nagore, Tirupati, Rameshwaram
and madras directly.
By Road : Thanjavur
is served by a good road system connected
to all the major cities of the country.
