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India » Thanjavur
 City Guide
 
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 Thanjavur, or Tanjore as the Britishs called it, is a lush paddy district. Now a small city in the state of Tamil Nadu, it rose to glory during the Chola period from the 10th century to the 14th, when it came to be the centre of art and education. The Cholas built extensively during this period and 74 of their temples are still standing. As the centre of cultural development Thanjavur attracted master craftsmen, and it still continues to produce attractive handcrafted ware.
The legacy of the days of glory endures. Its heritage as a centre of learning, culture and craft is reflected in the variety of handicraft work that goes on here. Thanjavur is still famous for its bejewelled, gold leaf Tanjore paintings, fine silk carpets, bell metal work, musical instruments, pith work and bronze sculptures.
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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 and 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.
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AREA
29.24 sq. kms.
POPULATION
Approximately 3 Lakh
CLIMATE
Summer-Max(36.6°c) Min(32.5°c)
Winter-Max(23,5°c) Min(22.8°c)
LANGUAGES
Tamil, English and Marathi.
STD Code
04362 |
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 The Brihadiswara Temple built by Raja Raja Chola in the 10th Century dominates the town. Its dimensions are huge: the Vimana, which peculiarly is bigger than the Gopuram is 65 meters tall, the lingam is called the Mahalingam to suggest its greatness and the Nandi Bull guarding the temple is 3.7 meters tall. The frescoes compare well with those in Ajanta. The South Zone cultural Center organizes a programme on 2nd and 4th Saturdays at the Brihadiswar Temple for which entry is free.
Thirubuvanam (45 km) has a 13th century temple to Shiva and is known for silk weaving.
Manora (65 km) has a quirky souvenir from the colonial times; an eight storey high Victory Tower built in 1814 by an Indian king to celebrate the British victory over Napoleon at Waterloo.
Velankani (90 km) has a very popular shrine to Our Lady of Health that people of all religions flock to with mini gold and silver replicas of the ailing body-part. At Nagore (88 km) is the 500-year-old tomb of Hazrat Shahabdul Hameed that has a golden dome and five minarets. The tank near it, Peer Kollam is believed to have curative water and is visited regardless of religious belief.
112 km from Thanjavur is Kodikarai or Point Calimere. This Sanctuary is home to migratory birds, especially flamingos, and animals like the black buck and wild ponies. The best time to visit is November to January. Definitely cooler.
Contact The Forest Ranger, Kodikkarai. Tel: (04369) 72424 or the Wildlife Warden, 110 Public Offices Road, Nagapattinam. Tel: 22349 for accommodation at the Poonarai Illam Forest Resthouse.
Kumbakonam (36 km) has the important Mahamaham Fair every twelve years, due next in 2004. It also has five important temples that are known for their semi erotic sculptures.
Tirunallar (101 km) has one of the few temples to Saturn or ill-favouring Saneeswar, which people visit to cancel out ill fortune.
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