About trip

Thanjavur 

Thanjavur History

Thanjavur is a city in the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India. The 11th-century Brihadeeswarar Temple, a massive Chola dynasty-era complex with a frescoed interior, is among its many temples. The centuries-old Saraswathi Mahal Library, with palm-leaf manuscripts, and Thanjavur Art Gallery, with bronze sculptures, are housed in Thanjavur Maratha Palace. Coins, folk objects and musical instruments are shown at the Tamil University Museum.

Thanjavur has a rich historical heritage and holds a very important role in shaping South Indian society, both ancient and modern. This location, being of religious significance, is a must for all pilgrims. In and around the city, there are many religious sites. Siva Ganga Garden, Art Gallery, Palace & Saraswathi Mahal Library, Sangeetha Mahal are the major tourist attractions.

 

Thanjavur temple 

Brahadeshwara Temple : Thanjavur's main attraction is the Brahadeshwara Temple, also known as the Major Temple. Constructed during the reign of the ruler of the Great Chola, Raja Raja Chola, this temple is an architectural marvel.

This temple is a favourite among the pilgrims, surrounded by deep trenches on either side and the Grand Anaicut River flowing through another one. The shrine itself is a building measuring 216 feet. Paintings from the Chola and Nayak times dot the sanctum. At the gate, the statue of Nandi the Bull welcomes them.

Gangaikonda Cholapuram : With its history and engineering, the magnificence of the Gangaikonda Cholapuram along with Brihadishwara temple will enchant and thrill you. Gangaikonda Cholapuram is a place worth exploring which is a testimony to the architectural and engineering genius of the region and the pride of one of the greatest empires of India-the Chola Empire.

For more than two centuries, Gangaikonda Cholapuram was the capital city of the Chola Empire. The beginning of one of the greatest reigns in Southern Indian history was marked by this place of great historical importance. The great historical city today is nothing more than a small village with the temple of Lord Shiva as the emblem of the grandeur of its once majestic course.

Gangaikonda Cholapuram is a great place to explore and unfold its heritage, grandeur and elaborate marvels and storeys, safely tucked into history, compared many times to Thanjavur, another great Chola city.

Inside the Vijayanagar Fort, Shiva Ganga Garden lies and is open to the public. This garden is very well kept and is therefore a joy to visit. In the Siva Ganga Garden, constructed by 16th century rulers to supply water to the Tanjore Palace, a square tank is still in use and is well known for its sweet tasting water.

Vijayanagar Fort is a popular tourist spot is located nearly 2 km from the Brahadeeswara temple. During the early 1550 AD, this magnificent fort was built by Nayaks and partly by Maratha rulers. A Tanjore Palace, Sangeetha Mahal, Library and an exquisite art gallery that includes many sculptures and paintings are housed in the fort. A part of the complex is also the Shiva Ganga Gardens. While the fort is now in ruins, its power and grandeur it must have once possessed is still echoed.

A group of three Vishnu temples, together called Divyadesam, is Thanjai Mamani Koil near Thanjavur. It is among the 108 temple premises in India that are more than that. The temple has a storey of local origin that has its origins in one of the several canonical Lord Vishnu myths. In his Narasimha avatar, which he mostly took to defeat the evil king Hiranyakashipu to save his devotee Prahlad, he is worshipped here above all.

Their idols are likewise present here. It is a shrine loved and frequented by Vishnu's devotees. The temple provides the rare opportunity to experience the Lord 's three abodes at the same location, along with his consort's deities and other related gods. For all kinds of reasons, people visit the place. Goddess Lakshmi sits on the right side of an angry Vishnu in one of the shrines, meaning that goodness can not live where unchecked rage is present.

The Holy Sthala, surrounded by the three holy rivers of Cauvery, Kolidam and Vennaru, is famous for Alangudi and its temple. The place and the temple are closely related to each other and have historical, mythological and local folklore related to their past roots and current legends.

Abathsahayeswarar form of Shiva, the one who digested Vasuki Nag's poison to save humanity from its toxin during samudra manthan, is devoted to the Alangudi Guru Temple.

It also houses his female counterpart Elavarkuzhali and some other deities as well. The temple is also known for being the birthplace of Devguru Brihaspati or the planet Jupiter. The nine planets are considered to be gods of heaven as per Hindu mythology, where Earth, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are replaced by Sun , Moon, Rahu and Ketu. There are nine temples in Tamil Nadu dedicated to each of these nine divine beings, and this one is for Jupiter.

Staying true to the yellow hue of the world we see in the photographs, it is considered sacred to give yellow garments here. Jupiter's transition from one zodiac to another constellation is celebrated as a great festival here. With pomp and show, other festivals such as Thai Poosam and Chithhtirai Purnima are also celebrated.

The Moon God is dedicated to Chandra Bagwan Temple. This temple, located nearly 25 km from the town, is primarily visited by those who believe they are under the bad effects of the Moon according to their horoscopes. They believe that their ill fates will change for the better by offering prayers with the utmost confidence to the Moon God.

Thanjavur tourist places

Bangaru Kamakshi Temple is located in Thanjavur, which is a residential as well as a commercial hub in a very well-known and crowded area. This temple is situated in the midst of a few others, but it definitely retains its own worth. A major part of its success lies in the temple 's history and legend. Bangaru's word means 'gold'. This is an implicit reference to the deity's golden body. If you visit the temple, however, you will see that the face of the goddess is black.

This has a clear connexion to its history once again. When the idol was transferred from Kanchipuram to Thanjavore to conceal it from the invaders and thieves, the goddess's face was smeared with a black substance called 'punugu.' To date, the temple authorities uphold the tradition and it has become a part of the legacy of the temple. This temple is visited by many people from the nearby areas to give Goddess Kamakshi prayers.

Located in Thanjavur, in the Hindu community of southern India, the Swami Malai temple has great religious significance. It is one of the Arupadaiveedu, Murugan 's six principal residences, each of which represents the six separate stages of his life. The temple stands on the ground where it is believed that Lord Murugan passed on profound knowledge of the universe to Lord Shiva, his own father, as his Guru. This unique temple, therefore, is a commemoration of that.

The Serfoji Sarasvati Mahal Library is included in the Britannica Encyclopaedia as 'India's most outstanding library.' This institution has kept its own among the few in an age where physical libraries are becoming outdated and individuals are switching to digital books more and more. And the fact that it developed in the 16th-17th centuries further contributes to the library 's importance.

Founded by Thanjavur's Nayak kings, it was later nurtured by Serfoji II, the Maratha king, who was also one of the most prominent kings of the land. The library is, thanks to him, not only one of the few ancient libraries that still exist in the world, but also a well-stocked one. The library boasts not only books, but also a large collection of art, drawings, maps, and manuscripts.

The library section is limited to scholars only, but for anyone who is academically or technically interested in looking up, the digitised catalogues have been made accessible online. They can access the large collection of information the library possesses with prior permission. The library museum is quite a treat for the audience. While not as large as the actual library, with its historic elegance, it has enough to mesmerise tourists.

Trip Overview

DAY 1 - Thanjavur Sightseeing

Morning pick up from Theni. Then Proceed towards Thanjavur. Hotel Check in. Then proceed to visit Thanjavur major attractions such as Brahadeshwara Temple , Gangaikonda Cholapuram , Siva Ganga Garden and Vijayanagar Fort. Come back to Hotel. Overnight stay at Thanjavur.

DAY 2 - Thanjavur Sightseeing

Morning Breakfast at Hotel. Then proceed to visit Thanjavur major attractions such as Thanjai Mamani Koil , Bangaru Kamakshi Temple, Schwartz church and Swami Malai temple. Come back to Hotel. Overnight stay at Thanjavur.

DAY 3 - Thanjavur Sightseeing

Morning breakfast and then Check out from Hotel. Then proceed to visit Thanjavur major attractions such as visit Sarasvati Mahal, Thanjavur Maratha Palace and Sri Bangaru Kamakshi Amman Temple. Then proceed towards Theni. Finally drop at Theni.