Tanjore
Historical Description
Earlier known as Tanjore, Thanjavur was one of the important political centre for Chola Dynasty. It was Thanjavur Vijayalaya Chola who built an empire making it the capital in 848 AD. It was he who founded the later Chola kingdom and under the rule of the Rajaraj Chola I and Rajendra I, Tanjore remained the centre of Chola administration. It was during this period that the famous Brihadisvara Temple was built by the Rajaraja. After Cholas, it was ruled by the Pandyas and later conquered by the Marathas in 1674. In 1779, it became a district under the British East India Company.
Sighseeing Places With Description
1. The Brahadeswara Temple
This temple is an excellent example of Dravidian architecture and was built by the great Chola ruler Rajaraja I. Its construction was started in 1003 and completed in 1010 AD. The temple rises from a square base and shaped like a pyramid with 14 tiers, on the top of which there is an octagonal cupola carved out from a single 81.3 tonnes granite stone. The main deity worshipped here is Lord Shiva in form of Lingam. Nandi a stone bull at the entrance of the gate is another important feature of the temple. There are three gateways with gopurams to enter the temple.
2. The Palace
It was built by the Nayak rulers around 1550 AD and was later renovated and enlarged by Maratha rulers. Now some government offices and an art gallery, a library are located inside the palace complex.
3. Chola Art Gallery
It is inside the palace complex and has a beautiful collection of bronze and granite idols belonging to 9th and 12th century. This represent excellent workmanship of Chola art and were brought from the temples in and around Thanjavur.
4. Saraswathi Mahal Library
It was founded in 1700 AD by the Maratha kings of Tanjore. There are over 30,000 palm leaf and paper manuscripts in this library. Several books both in Indian and European languages are also available here.
5. Museum
This is also present inside the palace complex and has a good collection of manuscripts, weapons, royal dresses and musical instruments.
Geographical Area And Population
The city is located on the south bank of the river Kaveri and is about 200 miles south of Chennai. The city lies between latitude 10.47 degree north and longitude 79.07 east. The city is at an altitude of 54.25 meters above sea level. With an area of 36 sq. km., the city has a population of 275,000 according to the 2005 census.
Fairs And Festivals
Tanjore is also famous for its numerous colourful festivals and cultural programmes in the temple. Some of the major festivals are the Thyagaraja Aradhana Music Festival(January), Pongol, Mahamagam Festival(Feb-March), Annai Velankanni Festival(Aug-Sept) and Rajaraja Chola's Birth Day are some of the major festivals celebrated in the city.
Getting There
Tanjore is well connected to all the important cities and towns of South India by air, rail and road.
By Air
The nearest airport is at Trichy(65km) and is connected to Chennai, Madurai and Colombo.
By Rail
The Thanjavur railway junction is directly connected by rail with Trichy, Chennai, Nagore and Madurai.
By Road
Frequent bus services are available to Chennai, Trichy, Madurai, Kochi, Ernakulam, Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram. City buses, auto rickshaws and taxis are available for travelling within the city.
