Tanjore (Thanjavur) City Travel Guide:
About Tanjore: A city of tremendous historical significance, Thanjavur can still be regarded as the dotting guardian of Tamil culture. An agricultural hub, Thanjavur or Tanjore was the royal city of Cholas, Nayaks and Mahrattas during medieval period. Also called the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu, the place is famous for its handicrafts. Thanjavur still preserves and promotes classical arts and music, Bharatnatyam dances and the Tanjore style of painting. .
Accommodation and Connectivity: At a small distance of 58 kms is the Tiruchirapalli airport. It is well connected with many other destinations of India's air map. Thanjavur has direct rail links with places like Trichy, Madurai, Nagore and Madras. An excellent network of roads connect Thanjavur with all major towns of Tamil Nadu. Accommodation is not a problem if someone is planning to visit Thanjavur. There are hotels available for all categories of people. Good food is also available at reasonable rates.
Tourist Attractions:
Sri Brihadeswara temple - Sri Brihadeswara temple is regarded as a genius of ancient Chola architecture. The temple dedicated to Nandi, the Bull has been built from a single granite rock. The dome of the temple also rests on a single granite rock. The best part about the temple is that it has been built in a manner that the shadow of it never falls on the ground. The temple is 216 ft. tall. It is worth mentionable that as many as many as 74 temples dot the landscape of Thanjavur.
The Palace of Thanjavur - The palace built by the Nayaks and the Marathas is another attraction of this temple town. The masonry of the palace is highly appreciable. The Palace also houses the Mannar Saroboji Saraswathi Mahal Library, Art Gallery and Sangeetha Mahal. The Schwartz Church also stands in the palace garden.
The Saraswati Mahal library - The library has a good collection of ancient Indian manuscripts on both paper and palm leaves. The library also preserves some rare European literary collections of the 16th century.
Thanjavur Art gallery - People throng the art gallery to have a glimpse of some of the magnificent statues of bronze and stone. The statues were built between the 9th-12th centuries.
Sivagangai Garden - To the north of Brihadeshwara Temple is Sivagangai Garden. The garden has an impressive variety of flora and fauna.
Excursion Delights - Gangaikondacholapuram, Nageswaraswami and Airavateswara Temple. A visit to Tanjore is never regarded as complete without visiting the temples of Gangaikondacholapuram, Nageswaraswami and Airavateswara. Some of the best pieces of Chola sculpture could be seen in these temples.
Thiruvaiyaru - This place has a famous temple of Lord Shiva. Devotees come in large numbers to have darshan of the deity.
Kumbakonam - This is another place at a distance of 36 kms from Thanjavur famous for ancient Chola sculptures. The place gives great historical information of he Chola period.
Thanjavur deserves credit for preserving classical arts and music amidst the onslaught of technology in modern times. may be regarded as a storehouse of our ancient culture and heritage.