Thanjavur Travel Guide
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 is famous for the Brihadeeswara Temple built by Raja Raja
Chola, the first sailor king of India. The Brihadeeswara Temple also
known as the Big Temple is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The
temple is enclosed in two courts, surmounted by a lofty tower and
including the exquisitely decorated shrine of Subrahmanya. Among the
other historic buildings is the Vijayanagara fort, which contains a
palace that was expanded by the Maratha raja Sarfoji with an armoury and
the Saraswathi Mahal Library, which contains over 30,000 Indian and
European manuscripts written on palm leaf and paper.
Getting There :
Air - The nearest airport is at Trichy (65-km).
Rail - There is a railway junction in Thanjavur. It is
well connected with Trichy, Chennai, Madurai and Nagore.
Road - Thanjavur is well connected by road with all
the major towns and cities in Tamil Nadu nd also with Kochi, Ernakulam,
and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala and Bangalore in Karnataka. There are
regular bus services for visiting all places of interest in and around
Thanjavur. Tourist taxis are also available
