¤ About Thanjavur
Thanjavur is a royal and historic city near Chennai. It is known as the 'Rice Bowl of Tamil Nadu' and is the granary of South India. The city, also known as Tanjore, was the capital of Chola kingdom between the 9th and 13th century and reached heights in the sphere of knowledge and culture. The strong historical background of Thanjavur attracts a number of tourists every year. It is an excellent place to be explored from travel and tourism point of view. Thanjavur is famous for its splendid temples, their intricate carvings, sculptures and architecture. One of the main attractions of Thanjavur is the Bragatheeswarar Temple, which is also known as the Big Temple. It was built by Rajaraja Cholan, the Great Chola King. The most interesting feature of the temple is the Saraswati Mahal Library, which was established in 1700 and has the rarest collection of manuscripts. To enrich your experience further visit the Thanjavur Palace.

The palace was built in 1550 AD and was a joint effort of Nayakas and Marathas. This splendid structure is known for its fine masonry. Apart from this, the Tamil University in Thanjavur is also a place worth watching. The University Museum houses a collection of coins and musical instruments. Amongst these, the Nayak Durbar Hall Art Museum and the Rajaraja Chola Museum are the most important ones. They display magnificent collection of Chola Bronzes. Last, but certainly not the least; Thanjavur is highly acclaimed for its Tanjore paintings. These paintings have a distinct style of decoration and paint. They are done on glass as well as on board and in both the cases, the figures and the background are richly decorated with gold leaves and gems. The paintings mostly show Lord Krishna in various poses, but the ones in the temples depict other Gods and Goddesses also.

¤ Major Tourist Attractions of Thanjavur
» Brihadeshwara Temple & Fort - The temple is an outstanding example of Chola architecture and was built by the great Chola King, Raja Raja I in the 10th century. The granite block that forms the cupola on the top is monolithic and dominates the nearby areas.

» The art gallery - The art gallery occupies the Nayak Durbar Hall. It has a superb collection of Chola bronze statues from the 9th to 12th centuries. The Saraswati mahal Library is next door to the gallery. Over 30,000 Indian and European manuscripts written on palm leaves and paper are preserved in the Saraswati Mahal Library.

» Saraswathi Mahal Library -It is situated in one section of the palace where there are over 3000 palm leaf and paper manuscripts in Indian as well as European languages.

» Thanjavur Palace & Museum - Thanjavur paintings basically signify paintings created using a style and technique, which originated in Thanjavur during the maratha period in the 16th century. A typical Thanjavur painting would consist of one main figure, a deity, with a well-rounded body & almond shaped eyes. This figure would be housed in an enclosure created by means of an arch, curtains etc. The painting would be made by the gilded and gem-set technique - a technique where gold leaves & sparkling stones are used to highlight certain aspects of the painting like ornaments, dresses etc. The painting would be bright & colourful and breathtakingly beautiful. The impact in a darkened room is that of a glowing presence. While most of the paintings would depict the Child Krishna and his various pranks, paintings of other deities were also created. Over a period of time changes have occurred in the stylization - for example, the figures are no longer round. Presiding deities of various famous temples are also being depicted in the paintings. The technique is now more in use than the style.

» Schwartz Church - (In the Palace garden) Built in 1779 AD by Rajah Serfoji in token of his affection for the Rev. C.V. Schwartz of the Danish mission.

Sivaganga Tank - Situated near the palace this tank is known for its sweet water. Tamil University (7Kms.): Established in 1981, is engaged in research and advance studies in Tamil.

¤ Shopping
Weaving, painting, jewelry, woodworks are some of its renowned handicrafts which make for wonderful shopping in Thanjavur. Since long past Thanjavur has been a princely state and under the patronage of the royals, tradition of art and craft attained a glorious height in Thanjavur. Do remember to take back some artifacts while shopping in Thanjavur. Silk weaving is a major traditional craft in Thanjavur. A lot of people are engaged in the profession. They specialize in weaving silk saris with broad border and unique motifs laden all over with Zari work. The saris are huge hit for weddings and religious occasions. Pick up graceful Thanjavur silk saris while shopping in Tanjore. Another must-buy in Tanjore is traditional paintings. Richly adorned paintings of mostly Hindu gods are quite popular with those who want to do shopping in Thanjavur.

¤ Accomodation
Thanjavur is well equipped with the various types of accommodation facilities. Starting from luxurious hotels to reasonably cheap dormitories, all are available in this place.

¤ Climate of Thanjavur
Climate : Summer : Max. 36°C, Min. 32.5°C
Winter : Max. 23.5°C, Min. 22.8°C
Rainfall : 111.37 mm average
Season : Throughout the year

¤ How To Reach Thanjavur
» Air - Chennai (58-km) is the nearest airport with both domestic and international terminus. Chennai is connected with all the major places in India through the numerous domestic flights. International flights operate from various parts of the world to Chennai.

» Road - Buses are available from Pondicherry, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu and Chennai to Tanjore daily. The road to Tanjore is good. Tourists can also hire a taxi from Chennai.