Thanjavur

Thanjavur situated in the Cauvery delta and 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 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.

The Tamil University in Thanjavur is also a place to watch. 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.

Mainly 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.