| Travel to Tanjore / Thanjavur | ||
| one of the busiest commercial town of the Kaveri delta. Thanjavur is also known as Tanjore. Tamil nadu 's most awesome Chola monument- give it a crucial significance to south Indian culture. The home of the world's finest Chola Bronze collection, it holds enough if interest to keep you enthralled for at least a couple of days and is the most obvious base for trip to nearby Gangaikondacholapiram, Darasuram, and swamimalai. | ||
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History : |
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| 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. | ||
| How to get there : | ||
| 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. | ||
| By Bus : | ||
| Regular bus service connects all places of interest in and around Thanjavur. Tourist taxis, auto rickshaws and cycle rickshaws are also available. | ||
| Sightseeing : | ||
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Brihadishwara Temple : This temple was constructed by King Rajaraja I, as to facilitate the worship of Shiva. Profuse inscriptions on the base of the main shrine provide incredibly detailed information about the organization of the temple. (Daily 6 am - noon & 4 - 8 pm; Free). Once inside the gigantic courtyard gives plenty of spice to appreciate the buildings. the main temple, constructed of granite, consists of a long pillared mandapa hallways, followed by the half hall, which in turn leads to the inner sanctum, the garbha griha. |
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The Royal Palace : The Royal Palace compound, where members of the riyal family still reside, is on the main street, 2 k northeast of Brihadishwara Temple. The palace began in mid sixteenth century under Nayak; additions were made by the Marathas from the endof the 17th century onwards. Remodeled by Shaji II in 1684, the Durbar Hall, or hall of audience, houses a throne canopy decorated with the mirrored glass. |
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| Thanjavur/ Tanjore Art Gallery : A magnificent collection of Chola Bronzes - the finest of them from the Tiruvengadu hoard unearthed in the 1950's - fills the Thanjavur Art Gallery, a high-ceiling audience hall with massive pillars, dating from the 1600. A 10th century statue of Kannapa Nayannar, a hunter devotee, shows minutiae right down to his clothing and many more undisputed masterpieces of the collection shows Shiva as Lord of the Animals sensuously depicted in a skimpy loin clothe, with a turban made of snakes. ( Daily 9 am - 1pm & 3-6 pm) | ||
| Saraswati Mahal Library Museum : The Saraswati Mahal Library, one of the most important oriental manuscript collections in India. A small museum displays a bizarre array of books and pictures from the collection . | ||
