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.
Tiruchirapalli is popularly known as Trichy, located on the banks of the Kaveri River and has centuries old history. Its most visible feature is of course the mammoth sized, actually 83 m high Rock Fort Temple, which in reality is part of a 3500-million-old hill. Another prominent feature includes the Ranganathaswamy Temple, which with its seven-walled complex is almost a small town in itself. As much for its temples, Trichy is a well-known centre for cigars, so much so that it is believed Winston Churchill himself preferred these cigars over the Cuban ones. In fact, these made Trichy so famous, that if you look up the word 'Trichinopoly' in the Encyclopedia Britannica, it actually means Tiruchirapalli!
Tourist Attractions in Thiruchirappalli
- Viralimalai Sanctuary is famous for its Murugan temple and the Peacock Sanctuary.
- Sittanavasal is a renowned site of a prehistoric Jain monastery with fine fresco paintings dating back to the Pandyan period and boasts exquisite pictures of animals, fish, ducks, lotuses and two dancing figures.
- Government Museum commands a rare collection in the section of Geology, Zoology, Paintings, Anthropology, Epigraphy, Historical Records and other interesting things as well.
- Kudumianmalai temple flaunts beautiful sculptures and a thousand pillar hall within the temple.
- Famous places of worship in Thiruchirappalli are Rock Fort Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Kodumbalur, Samayapuram Mariamma, Sri Ranganathaswami Temple, Avadayar Koil, Gunaseelam and Kailasamundaiyar Temple.
- The city also boasts some magnificent churches such as St. John's Church, Elakurichi and Avur which are worth visiting.
Shopping Galore
The city of Trichy is a thriving commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is famous for artificial diamonds, cigars, handloom cloth, glass bangles and wooden and clay toys and is considered to be a major tourist destination in Tamil Nadu.
Accommodation
Trichy welcomes its guests into its wonderfully appointed guestrooms that are done up in refined way. The rooms are neat and help you shed all your work related tensions and enjoy a comfortable stay in absolute privacy. The comfort quotient of the rooms is increased by the availability of the in-room amenities like attached baths facilitated with running hot and cold water, telephone with direct dial facility and color television.
Tiruchirappalli Excursions
Jambukeshwara Temple : It is situated just 2 kilometers from the famous Srirangam temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple complex comprises 5 concentric walls and seven Gopurams. The principal deity is the Shiva lingam, almost submerged in water, which flows from the subterranean spring that lies near the main sanctum.
Mariamman Temple : It is located just 10 kilometers from the downtown Trichy. Mariamman is one of the most popular and most visited temples in the Peninsular India. The temple is dedicated to Mariamman, a manifestation of the primeval energy 'Shakti' as the mother Goddess. Local beliefs associate the deity with cures for diseases such as small pox and chicken pox.
Samayapuram : It was a provincial capital of the Vijayanagar rulers that is located in the vicinity of Tiruchirapalli. It was also known as Vikramapuram.
Government Museum : 40 km from Trichy, the museum is located near the Pudukkottai station and houses rare and interesting collections of objects related to Geology, Zoology, Paintings, Anthropology, Epigraphy and Historical Records. However, it remains closed on Mondays.
Viralimalai Sanctuary : A small town near Tiruchirappalli, it known for the spectacular Murugan temple and enchanting Peacock Sanctuary, where one can see a large number of wild peacocks roaming around. If you are lucky, you may also see them dancing.
Other temples in and around the city include Vayalur Subramniya Temple, Anbil, Appakudathan and Thiruvallarai Vishnu Temples, Uraiyur Nachiyaar Temple, Uraiyur Vekkali Amman Temple, Thiruppaigeeli Siva Temple, Gunaseelam Vishnu Temple and Thirupparaithurai Shiva temple.
Apart from that the city boasts off St. Joseph's Church that is situated within the St. Joseph College Campus. This Portuguese-British Church has got some of the best glass-paintings in India. The architecture of this Church is unique because of the fusion elements involved in it.
Things to see
Rock Fort
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple
