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 its distinctive art style , which is usually a combination of raised and painted surfaces. Krishna is the most popular of the gods depicted and in the Thanjavur school his skin is white rather than the traditional blue-black.
The enormous gopurams of the Brihadeshwara Temple dominate Thanjavur. The temple itself, between the Grand Anicut Canal and the old town is surrounded by fortified walls and a moat. The old town, too used to be similarly enclosed, but most of the walls have now disappeared. What remains are winding streets and alleys and the extensive ruins of the palace of the Nayakas of Madurai.

Tourist Places in Thanjavur

Brihadeshwara Temple & Fort
Built by great Chola king in the 10th century it is an outstanding example of Chola architecture and is listed in world heritage. On the top of the apex of 63 metres high, a dome is said to be constructed from a single piece of granite, weighing an estimated 81 tones. The dome was hauled into place along a 6 km earthwork ramp in a manner similar to the one used by the Egyptian Pyramids. The temple has been the sense of continuous worship for over thousand years. Only Hindus are allowed inside.

Thanjavur Palace & Museum
The palace near the temple is a vast building of masonry built by the Nayakas around 1550 and partly by the Maratha. Two of the palace towers, the Armoury and the observation tower are visible from all parts of the city. The palace houses an art gallery, a library and a hall of music. The art gallery occupies the Nayak Durbar Hall. It has a superb collection of Chola bronze statues from the 9th to 12th centuries.

Thiruvidai Maruthur
This place is about 48 kms. away from Thanjavur. It is spelt in ancient books as Thiruvidaimaruthur. The river Cauvery passess through this place. The village is also called Madhyarjunam. The presiding deity is Mahalingar and goddess is known as Brikatkunchautsa. People suffering from mental affliction visit the place for relief.

The Saraswathi Mahal Library
The Saraswati Mahal library instituted by the Maratha king, Serfoji, is also located in the palace with its collection of over 30,000 manuscripts in palm leaf and paper, in Indian and European languages.

How to Reach Thanjavur?

By Air: The nearest airport , Tiruchirappalli, is about 58 km away and is connected by Indian Airlines and Air Lanka with Colombo. Indian Airlines also connects Trichy with Madras and Madurai daily.
By Rail: Thanjavur is well connected by rail with Trichy , Madurai, Nagore, Tirupati, Rameshwaram and madras directly.
By Road: Thanjavur is served by a good road system connected to all the major cities of the country.