Thanjavur - Tourism and Culture

Tourism and Culture

Thanjavur is an important pilgrim centre and a major tourist destination. There were 2,002,225 Indian and 81,435 foreign tourist arrivals in 2009.

The most visited monument in Thanjavur is the Brihadeeswarar Temple, whose construction, the historian Percy Brown described as "a landmark in the evolution of building art in South India". Built in the 11th century AD by the Medieval Chola king Raja Raja Chola I, the temple complex houses a granite shrine dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and is surrounded by fortifications. The walls of the sanctum are covered with wall paintings from the Chola and Nayak periods. The temple was designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and is replicated in the Gangaikonda Cholesvarar Temple constructed by Raja Raja's son Rajendra Chola I.

The Thanjavur Maratha palace was the official residence of the Bhonsle family who ruled over the Thanjavur region from 1674 AD to 1855 AD. It was originally constructed by the rulers of Thanjavur Nayak kingdom, after whose fall served as the official residence of the Thanjavur Marathas. When most of the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom was annexed to the British Empire in 1799, the Thanjavur Marathas continued to hold sway over the palace and the surrounding fort. On the southern side of the third quadrangle is a tower like building, 190 feet tall with eight storeys, called the Goodagopuram.

The Saraswathi Mahal Library, established around 1700 AD and located in the premises of the palace, contains over 30,000 Indian and European manuscripts written on palm leaf and paper. Over eighty per cent of its manuscripts are in Sanskrit and many of them are on palm leaves. The Tamil works includes treatises on medicine, and commentaries on works from the Sangam period.

The Rajaraja Chola art gallery is inside the palace - it has a large collection of stone and bronze images from the 9th to 12th centuries. Most of the idols are brought from the various temples in the Thanjavur district.

The Sivaganga Park is situated to the east of the 11th century Brihadeeswarar Temple and encompasses the Sivaganga Tank believed to have been built by the king Raja Raja Chola. It was created as a people's park by the Tanjore municipality in 1871-72. It has a collection of plants, animals and birds and serves as a zoo for children within the town.

Schwartz Church is a historic monument located in the palace garden, was built in 1779 AD by Serfoji II in token of his affection for the Rev. C.V. Schwartz of the Danish Mission.

There are five museums in the town namely Archeological Museum, Tamil University Museum located with the Tamil University premises, the Saraswathi Mahal Library Museum located inside the Saraswathi Mahal Library, Nayak Durbar Hall Art Museum and Rajaraja Chola Museum.

Raja Rajan Manimandapam is also one of the tourist attractions in Thanjavur, built during the Thanjavur Tamil Conference in 1991.

The then "Sangeetha Mahal" has been converted to a handicrafts exhibition centre now which has handicrafts from local artisans. Thanjavur is the cradle for many of the arts and crafts in South India. Carnatic music as we know it today was codified in Thanjavur as was Bharathanatyam.

Sathaya Thiruvizha is the annual birthday festival of Raja Raja Chola held during October every year. Thanjavur is the base for the Tyagaraja Aradhana, a Carnatic music festival held annually during January - February at Thiruvaiyaru, located 13 km away from the town.

Thanjavur painting is a major form of classical South Indian painting from Thanjavur. It dates back to about 1600s, the period of Nayakas of Thanjavur, who encouraged art, classical dance, music literature, both in Telugu and Tamil. The art is usually a combination of raised and painted surfaces, with the Hindu god Krishna being the most popular depicted. In modern times, these paintings have become souvenirs of festive occasions in South India, pieces to decorate walls, and collectors' items for art lovers.