Introduction to Tanjore
Tanjore, also known as Thanjavur or Thanjavoor is located on the eastern
coast of Tamil Nadu. Also called the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu, Tanjore is
famous for many reasons since the time of Cholas. The name itself has many
interesting legends related to it. According to one of them, Tanjore
probably was called Tanjai. The other legends attribute the name of the city
to Tanjam, a demon who was haunting the locality and was destroyed by God
Vishnu. However, apart from these legends Tanjore also has a sound history
of different dynasties that ruled over it. The Cholas conquered Thanjavoor
in about 850 A.D. replacing the Mutharayar Chiefs and made it their capital.
The Cholas ruled over Tamil Nadu for more than 400 years (850 to 1279) and
have left an imperishable mark on its history. Besides the Cholas, the
southern part of the Indian peninsula was also ruled by Pallavas, Pandyas
and Cheras. The present day Tanjore is the headquarters of the Tanjore-District.
Places of Interest Brihadeeswara
Temple The Brihadeeswara Temple is the main attraction.
The massive temple built by Rajaraja Chola reflects the Cholas' contribution
to the development of arts in this area. It is also regarded as the Chola
dynasty's finest contribution to the Dravidian temple architecture. Listed
as a World Heritage site, the temple is visited by a large number of people
for the regular worship here. The temple is characterised by its unique
structure. Unlike the usual South Indian temples, the Brihadeeswara temple
has a soaring vimana and a stunted gopuram. It was constructed from a single
piece of granite weighing an estimated 80 tonnes and the dome was hauled
into place along a 4-km earthwork ramp in a manner similar to the Egyptian
pyramids. A huge Nandi, about 6 m long and 3.7 m high, faces the inner
sanctum. The statue of Nandi was created from a single rock piece and weighs
25 tonnes. It is in fact one of the largest statues of Nandi bulls in India.
The temple also has a spacious ground, number of pillared halls, shrines
and 250 lingams.
The Palace The Palace of
Tanjore also makes an important tourist destination. The royal Palace near
the massive Brihadeeswara temple is characterised by its vast corridors,
large halls, shady courtyards and observation and arsenal towers. Built by
the Nayaks in the mid-16th century, the Palace was completed by the
Marathas. The Durbar Hall of the palace still retains the grandeur of the
bygone era. The palace also functions as a Royal Museum housing a diverse
collection of royal remnants, compilations of the early 19th century, the
king's slippers, head dresses and hunting tools.
Art
Gallery The Art Gallery is another must see of the city. It has a
rich collection of 250 Chola Bronze statues and 150 stone statues dating
from the 9th to 12th century. These statues belong to the many groups namely
the Bhairava, Umasahita Shiva, Kali and the Rama Lakshmana. You can have a
look at all these wonderful collections by paying a nominal entry fee.
Saraswati
Mahal Located just by the side of the art gallery, the Saraswati
Mahal Library has a huge collection of about 30,000 palm leaf and paper
manuscripts in Indian and European languages. It also has some Tamil works
including treatises on medicine, and commentaries on works from the Sangam
period. It was built during 1700 AD. You can visit the nearby museum that
houses some interesting exhibits like the entire range of the Ramayana
written on palm leaf. Checkout the time and entry fee before you visit the
Saraswati Mahal library.
Excursion: Places nearby
Tanjore Kumbakonam Kumbakonam is another
important site to include in your excursion itinerary. Located at a distance
of 36 kilometres from Tanjore, Kumbakonam is famous for its four temples
namely the Saragapani, Kumbeswarar, Nagaswara and the Ramaswamy. The place
also gets mentioned for its Mahamaham festival celebrated once in twelve
years.
Swamimalai
Located at a distance of 32 kilometres from the main city,
Swamimalai is also one of the many important religious excursion sites. The
place is famous for Arupadaivaadu, one of the six abodes of Lord Murugan
(one of the two sons of Lord Shiva). The wonderful brass works of Swamimalai
is also famous.
Thirukandiyur Located at a
distance of about 10 kilometres from the main city, Thirukandiyur is an
important religious tourist destination. Thirukandiyur is famous for the
temples of Brahma Sri Kandeswarar and Harsha Vimochana. A visit to the
temple will also give you the idea of the ancient form of Dravidian
architecture.
Thiruvaiyaru Located 13 km
from the town, this is another important place to include in your excursion
itinerary. Thiruvaiyaru is also famous for the saint Thyagaraja's annual
celebrations. Saint Thyagaraja together with Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama
Sastri were the maestros of Carnatic music. Situated on the banks of the
river Cauvery, this place is also an important religious destination for the
follower of Hinduism. Thiruvaiyaru has an old Shiva temple dedicated to Lord
Panchanatheeswar.
Thiruvarur Thiruvarur is
one of the important pilgrimage sites of Tamil Nadu. Located at a distance
of 55 kilometres away, it attracts number of religious tourists
towards its Thiyagarajaswami Temple. This temple is the biggest chariot
temple in Tamil Nadu. This place is also revered as the birth place of Saint
Thiyagaraja, one of the musical trinity of south India.
Tirunallur
Tirunallur is located at a distance of 95 kilometres from the city.
The town is famous for its Shivastalam, a Maadakkovil built at an elevation.
According to the legends, Agasthyar is said to have been blessed with a
vision of the marriage of Shiva here. Bhringi Muni and Narasimhar are also
said to have worshipped in this place. The legend of the trial of strength
between Vayu and Adisesha where the peak of Mt. Meru (Sundaragiri) fell at
Nallur and formed a Shivalingam, is also related to this place. Tirunallur,
referred to as Dakshina Kailasam is also famous for its Shivalingam that is
believed to manifest itself in five different colours in a day.