Tiruchirappalli City Guide
Tiruchirappalli is situated on the banks of the River Kaveri. It is 320 kms. from Madras. This city was a Chola citadel during the Sangam Age. The Pandyas and Pallavas Held Sway over this region for short Periods. The Nayaks of Madurai built the town and the historic Rock Fort, which played a vital role in the Carnatic wars in the 18th Century. Today Tiruchirappalli is a blend of history and tradition-a pilgrim center as well as a thriving commercial city.
Getting There
By Air : Tiruchirappalli has an airport (5 km). Indian Airlines connects Tiruchi with Chennai, Calicut, Kochi, Sharjah and Kuwait. Airlanka also connects Colombo with Tiruchirappalli.
By Rail : Tiruchirappalli is an important junction on the Southern Railway. It connects Chennai, Thanjavur, Madurai Tirupathi, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Rameswaram, Bangalore Coimba-tore, Nagore, Mysore, Kodai Road, Kanniyakumari Mangalore, Quilon, Mumbai, Howrah and Ahmedabad.
By Road : Tiruchi is well connected by road with important places of Tamilnadu and Southern Cities.
Local Transport : City Bus service to all places of touris interest from Central Bus Station and from Chinthamani Main Guard Gate Bus Station. Tourist Taxis, Auto Rickshaws and Cycle Rickshaws are also available.
Tourist Attractions
The Rock Fort : It is 272ft above the city on the banks of the river Cauvery. The rock cut into 437 steps, leads to the temple. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vinayaka (the mythical half-man, half-bird Garuda who is Vishnu's Vehicle, famous in the Epic Mahabharata). Along the way to temple there are landings and shrines. There are cave temples cut into the rocks, dedicated to Ganesh (the elephant God) and Shiva. There is an excellent view of the city from the top of this fort.
At the base of the Rock Fort, there are two temple bazaars which sell all items especially items for worship. Wood and clay toys are the traditional products of the region. Open from 06.00 to 20.00
The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple : This temple is one of the largest and most interesting temple complexes in India, built on an island in the middle of the Cauvery River and covering a staggering 2.5 sq km.
Government Museum : Situated at Thirukokarnam, the museum is located near the Pudukkottai station, at a distance of 40 km from Trichy. The rare collections in the sections of Geology, Zoology, Paintings, Anthropology, Epigraphy,Historical Records, etc., are very interesting. The museum is open on all days except Mondays.
Kudumianmalai : Kudumianmalai temple is located at a distance of 25-km from Trichy. The presiding deity is Lord Sikhagireeswara. There are beautiful sculptures and a thousand pillar-hall within the temple.
