Travel Guide - Thanjavur

Thanjavur

Thanjavur is a city of Chola rulers and it gained popularity during the Chola period between 11th and 14th centuries. Thanjavur is otherwise known as Tanjore and according to a local legend, Thanjavur derives its name from Tanjan, an asura ruler, who was killed by Lord Vishnu and Sri Anandavalli Amman for devastating the neighborhood and was granted his last request that the city be named after him. The Cholas kings were instrumental in making this city a center for learning and culture. The city is well known worldwide for its antiques as well as exquisite handicrafts. Thanjavur is also known as the Rice Bowl of South India as it lies in the fertile Cauvery delta region and rice is the main cultivation crop here. Thanjavur is also known for its handloom silk sarees, cotton sarees and the most famous of the items is the Tanjore paintings which are in great demand all over the world. Since Thanjavur is a coastal district, fishing is also a major occupation of many people here and the city accounts for 5% of the total catches in the state of Tamil Nadu. Tanjore is also the home of performing arts as well as Carnatic music and musical instruments made from jack-wood. Tanjore is also known as the city of temples as it has many famous temples in and around the city including the Navagraha temples.

When To Go

Thanjavur has both hot and pleasant climate.

• Summers (March to May) are hot with the temperature meander in the band of 25 °C to 40 °C, Tourists prefer to avoid hot days in April and May.
• Monsoons (June to September) are accompanied with low monsoon rains. The place is beautiful in rains and offers some relief from the hot climate.
• Winters (December to February) are pleasant with moderate temperatures in a range of 20°C to 30°C.

Best Season to visit Thanjavur is October to March.

• June to September is humid but pleasant with moderate temperature and suitable for short trips and sight seeing.
• October to March is perfectly ideal for tourist visits and visits to the temples.

History

Thanjavur enjoys a rich historical heritage and holds a very important position in the moulding of ancient as well modern south Indian civilization. The city has been known to be enjoying strong hold of the Chola dynasty. At some point or the other, it has been the capital of the Cholas, Mutharayars and the Marathas.

This town was known as ‘Tanjapuri’ in the ancient times and the name is said to have been given by Mutharayar king, from whom the Chola rulers, later, conquered the city. During the reign of Rajaraja Chola, the town was divided in two parts – Ullalai, which means the inner part and Purambadi, the other city.

After the fall of the Cholas, Pandayas took control of Thanjavur and it remained a province of the Vijaynagar Empire. In the year 1535, the Vijaynagar king hired a Nayak king, thus triggering the onset of the Nayak dynasty which ruled till the middle of 17th century.

Marathas took over the control of Thanjavur in the year 1674. Shivaji’s half brother Venkoji ruled in the city. The British came in the picture during the expedition of 1749, but they met defeat. The town remained under the Maratha rule till 1799 AD. The British finally gained control in 1799 and handed over the management to Raja Serfoji II. The death of the king in 1833 marked the end of ruling in Thanjavur.

Travel within city

Travelling within the city of Thanjavur is quite easy, as many buses, auto rickshaws, tourist cabs and cycle rickshaws are available for transport.

Auto Rickshaw

The easiest way to travel around the city of Thanjavur is through its countless auto rickshaws. Auto rickshaws are popular modes of transport in the region; however, auto rickshaws in Thanjavur do not run on meter. Thanjavur is essentially a small city, and you will not need to catch an auto rickshaw unless you’re in a hurry.

Bus

You can opt for buses in order to commute to all corners of the city as these are cheaper. Moreover there will be no necessity to bargain, which is usually what happens when you engage an auto rickshaw in Thanjavur. Buses in Thanjavur will take you from Old Bus Stand to the New Bus Stand and even to the Medical College. Almost all the buses in Thanjavur pass through the Brihadeeshwara Temple or the “Big Temple”, and other attractions. The Old Bus Stand is the closest to all major attractions in Thanjavur such as the Big Temple, the Government Park, and the Government Museum Palace etc. There are also a large number of 3 star hotels around the Old Bus Stand and quite a few good restaurants. The New Bus Stand provides transportation by connecting Thanjavur to other districts in and around Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry and is your best bet if you want to head out of Thanjavur and towards Kumbakonam, Trichy, Madurai, etc. Buses to Chennai are available from the Old Bus Stand as an exception. Bus fares start at Rs. 3 and stretch to a maximum of Rs.5. Some bus conductors may demand an extra ticket if you have extra luggage. Buses ply from 5 am to 11 30 pm everyday of the week, and there are buses every 3 minutes connecting the town (Old Bus Stand) and the outskirts (New Bus Stand).

Attractions

Brahadeshwara Temple

    mustsee The Great Chola emperor Raja Raja Chola built this famous Brahadeshwara temple or the Big Temple. The sculptures who built this temple are Kunjaramalian and Raja Raja Perunthachan. This temple showcases the Indian architectural brilliance and is a favorite pilgrimage spot for many visitors visiting Tanjore. The Brahadeshwara Temple is protected by deep trenches filled with water on two sides and the Grand Anaicut River on the other side.

Brahadeshwara temple is a unique one that has 216 feet tall tower over the inner shrine. The Chola and the Nayak periods wall paintings adorn the walls of the sanctum. A gigantic statue of Nandi the Bull is placed at the entrance of the sanctum sanctorum.

Chandra Bagawan Temple

    mustsee The Chandra Bagawan temple or the moon temple is the second important navagrhangal temple situated in and around the temple town of Thanjavur. It is about 25 km towards the north of Thanjavur and is often visited by people who are under the bad effects of Chandra as per their horoscopes.

It is believed that by offering prayers and seeking the blessings of the Moon God, the bad effects can be eliminated or reduced in their lives. The devotees main offering to their deity is raw rice cooked with jaggery and white clothing. Special poojas are performed during the full moon days in Panguni month.

Sangeetha Mahal

    mustsee Any person touring Thanjavur should surely include Sangeetha Mahal in their list of must see places. The Hall of Music or Sangeetha Mahal is located on the first floor of the Tanjore palace. This is the place where the musicians and dancers performed in front of the Chola and Nayak rulers and is an excellent piece of skilled craftsmanship that speaks volumes about the ancient builders and architects.

The perfect acoustical musical hall will leave any visitor spell bound over the knowledge the ancient sculptors and architects had. The Sangeetha Mahal is a worthwhile place for anyone to visit, be it an adult or a child.

Aalangudi Temple

    popular The Aalangudi temple is the abode of Lord Guru and is located in the district of Thanjavur. Lord Shiva consumed the deadly poison Alavisham in this place and hence the name Aalangudi. In this temple the deity faces the South direction as he is the Lord of Dhanusu and Meena Rasi.

It is auspicious to conduct poojas on all Thursdays apart from daily poojas and the offerings that are given to Guru Baghawan includes white jasmine flowers, Bengal gram and rice cooked with jaggery. The important festivals celebrated in this temple are: Guru Payirchi, Chitra Pournami, Tai Poosam and Panguni Utharam.

Art Gallery

    popular Any tourist interested in Indian art and culture must surely visit the art gallery in Thanjavur which is located in the Tanjore palace. This art gallery has a remarkable collection of bronze icons, stone sculptures, paintings and other artifacts belonging to the Chola and the Nayaka periods.

This art gallery gives information about the entire history of Tamil Nadu from the 9th century to 18th century AD. The stones as well as the bronze sculptures are housed inside the Nayak palace building in three sections, namely the Pooja Mahal for stone sculptures, Indira Mandir for arsenals and the Rama Chowdam Hall displaying bronze sculptures.

Lord Murugan Temple

    popular The Lord Murugan temple is situated about 5 kilometers to the west of Kumbakonam and is on the banks of the famous river Cauvery's tributary. The temple is easily approached from the bus stand and railway station in Kumbakonam and is at a distance of 2 kilometer from these places.

The important festivals that take place here are: Monthly Kiruthikai festival, Temple car festival in April, Tai Pusam festival in January, Navaratri festival in May as well as Skanda Shasthi festival in the month of October. There is a huge crowd gathering of the locals as well as tourists from different parts of Tamil Nadu during these festival seasons.

Sani Bhagawan Temple

    popular The Sani Bhagawan Temple is situated at about 52 kilometers away from Kumbakonam and is said to be one of the most powerful Saneeshwaran temples all over the world.

The Sani Peyairchi festival is the main and the most important festival that is celebrated on the day when the Sani Bhagawan moves from one zodiac sign to another. The Sani Bhagawan is believed to be a giver as well as a destroyer and a Saneeswaran devotee will be ridden of all his problems and worries. Timings: 6 AM - 1 PM 4 PM - 9 PM Saturday: Till 2 PM  

Saraswathi Mahal Library

    popular Saraswathi Mahal library is situated inside the Thanjavur palace and was earlier known as Saraswathi Bandar which means the collection place of books and manuscripts. This library was established around the year 1700 AD.

Oldest scripts in palm leaves as well as in paper and a large number of foreign books are part of the collection in this library. Many of the manuscripts are written either in Tamil or Sanskrit. The Maratha king Serfoji II took special interest to enrich the collection in this library. The library is divided into seven sections for convenience and each section has different groups of books, manuscripts, atlases, paintings etc.

Schwartz Church

    popular Schwartz Church is located in the Thanjavur palace garden and was built by the Chola king Raja Serfoji in the year 1779 AD. He built this church to show his affection to the Danish missionary Reverend Frederick Christian Schwartz and it is still a symbol of tolerance seen on the part of the Chola rulers towards different religions.

In 1798 when Schwartz died, Serfoji II, a Maratha ruler donated a striking piece of white marble that was made by John Flaxman and this is seen at the western end of the Schwartz church. The marble piece has engravings showing the dying missionary blessing King Serfoji surrounded by his ministers.

Siva Ganga Garden

    popular The Siva Ganga Garden is a park that is located near the famous Tanjore palace and is seen north of the Brahadeshwara or the Big Temple. It is a well maintained garden with a collection of flowering as well as non-flowering plants, different types of birds as well as animals.

This garden is situated in the quadrangular SivaGanga fort that was built by the 16th century Nayak ruler, Sevappa Nayaka. A square tank is located in the Siva Ganga Garden built by the 16th century rulers for providing water to the Tanjore Palace is still in use and is well known for its sweet tasting water.

Thirumananjeri Temple

    popular The Thirumananjeri temple is at a distance of 3 km to the west of Kuthalam, a small town in the district of Thanjavur. It is believed that the wedding of Lord Shiva and Uma Maheshwari took place here and hence the name Thirumananjeri, as in Tamil language Thirumanam means wedding.

This temple will conduct a three day festival to celebrate the wedding of Lord Shiva in the Poosam star of the Chithirai month in the Tamil calendar. There are special poojas conducted in this temple for unmarried boys and girls and there is a saying that such persons will tie the knot at the earliest after performing poojas in this temple.

Thirunageshwaram Temple

    popular The king of the Nagas called Raaghu worshipped Lord Shiva at a place near Kumbakonam and hence the place was named as Thirunageshwaram and the temple situated here is called Thirunageshwaram Temple. The main abhishekam in this temple is the Milk Abhishekam which is done on all days between 9:30 am to 5:30 pm and the cost of this abhishekam is about Rs.65/-.

Praying to Lord Raaghu in this temple will help a person to get rid of family problems, communicable diseases, mental disorders etc. In the tamil month of karthikai, annual festival called Bhramotsavam is celebrated and the Sekkizhaar festival is celebrated in the tamil month of vaikashi.

Thirunallar Temple

    popular Thirunallar is the place of Sani Bhagawan and is located 3 kms away from Karaikal that is a part of Pondicherry. It is believed that King Nala escaped from the bad effects of Sanigraha by praying to Lord Shiva at this place. Thirunallar is famous for the Maragathalingam idol made from precious green stone and special poojas are performed twice everyday.

It is necessary to wash the back of the feet in the pond in front of the temple before entering the Thirunallar temple and by doing so it is believed that all the sins of a devotee is washed away. Sani Peyairchi festival is celebrated for 18 days in a grand manner during the Tamil month Vaigasi.

Thiruvanajozhi Temple

    popular Thiruvanajozhi temple is an important place in the tourism and pilgrimage point of view and is located on the outskirts of Thanjavur town. As most of the other temples in Thanjavur this temple was also built by the Chola kings and is appreciated for its architecture. The temple dates back to 13th or 14th century and the idol is believed to be emerged by it self.

There are many ancient inscriptions on the stones of the walls in this temple. Historians are of opinion that a university was located in this place in ancient period. Regular performances of classical dance forms and music are done here.

Vellai Puliar Temple

    popular Vellai Puliar temple is one of the many ancient temple structures seen in the temple town of Thanjavur. Any tourist who is interested in art and sculptures should surely visit this temple. The carvings and the sculptural works that is carried out on the pillars and on the deities will be a treat for the eyes and will speak volumes about the excellent artistic craftsmanship of the ancient builders, sculptures and engineers.

The word Vellai is translated as White in English and the word Puliar mentions about the deity here, Lord Ganesha, and according to the locals here, Vellai Puliar temple means that Lord Ganesha sculpture is white in color.

Vijayanagar Fort

    popular The Vijayanagar fort is located about 2 km to the north east of the Brahadeeswara or the Big Temple. This fort was built partly by Nayaks and partly by Maratha rulers during the early 1550 AD. Inside the fort is the Tanjore Palace, Sangeetha Mahal, Saraswathi Mahal Library as well as an art gallery that has various collections of sculptures and paintings.

The fort was built to safeguard the palace from enemies by the Nayak king Vijay Raghav. Siva Ganga garden is located inside the fort and part of the fort is opened to the general public and most part of the fort is in ruins now.

Guru Baghawan Temple

   The Guru Baghawan temple is also known as Sri Abathsagayeswara Swamy Temple and is considered to be the main sthalam for the Lord Guru. This temple is located at a distance of 17 kilometers away from Kumbakonam on the route to Mannargudi.

Guru Baghawan is worshipped for the aspects of fame, wealth and siblings and going around the deity 24 times as well as lighting 24 ghee filled lamps in front of the deity is believed to remove all the bad effects and to bring prosperity to the devotee. Guru Homam and milk abhishekam are the main poojas performed on Lord Guru in this temple.

Kanchanur Temple

   The Kanchanur temple is associated with Sukhran which represents planet Venus which is one among the Navagrahas. It is located near Thiruvavaduthurai near Kumbakonam in the Thanjavur district. This temple, also known as Bhrammapuri or Agnisthalam, has to prakarams and five tiered Rajagopuram at the entrance. The Mukti Mandapam contains Natarajar and Shivagami statues and it is believed that Lord Shiva blesses Parasaramuni with his cosmic dance or the Mukti Thandavam here.

Everyday six poojas are offered to the deity in this temple and special poojas are conducted on festivals such as Mahasivarathri, Navarathri and Aadipooram. The main festival is celebrated with great pomp during the Tamil month of Thai every year.

Keelaperumpallam Temple

   The Keelaperumpallam Temple with its main deity as Kethu Bagawan is located at 6 km from Thiruvengaadu on the way to Poompuhar on the Poompuhar-Mayiladuthurai road. The presiding deities include Naaganaadaswamy and his wife Ambal and the deity is placed facing North West direction in this temple. Kethu Bagawan is seen in this temple to be worshipping Naaganaadaswamy with his hands held high.

The Abhishekams to Kethu Bagawan is offered daily at 8:30 am and pradoshams are considered to be very auspicious for performing abhishekams to Kethu Bagawan. The main offerings to Kethu Bagawan are red lily flower and kollu.

Kethu Temple

   The Kethu temple is located at 57 km away from the town of Kumbakonam and is one of the Navagraha temples that is located in the Thanjavur district. The specialty of this temple is that it will remain open even during Raahu kalam and Emakandam.

It is believed that Kethu worshipped Lord Shiva at this place and one can see the deity of Kethu with his head in this temple which is a rare sight. By praying to Kethu Bagawan, one can get rid of doshams like bad habits, loss of property and fears of dacoits. Timings: 6 AM - 12 PM 3:30 PM - 8 PM  

Mercury Temple

   The Mercury temple or Sri Suvedaranyar Temple is dedicated to Lord Budhan, one of the nine celestial planets and is located near Mayiladuthurai in Nagapattinam district. Budhan being the lord of Mithunam and Kanni Rasi faces the North east direction in this temple. Lord Budhan is considered as the ruler of knowledge, studies, music, medicine and astrology.

People pray to Lord Budhan and conduct special poojas particularly on Wednesdays to rectify the ill effects of Budhan dosham in their horoscope. The main poojas that are conducted in the Mercury temple include Milk Abhishekam, Budhan Pariharam, Ghee Deepam and Budhan Homam.

Raaghu Temple

   The Raaghu temple is located at a distance of 6 kilometers from the Kumbakonam town in Thanjavur district. Raaghu is one among the nine celestial bodies and is known to be the king of snakes. This temple is open to devotees from early morning till evenings and even during the Raaghu kalam or the bad period in a day.

It is considered to be of special significance if one can offer the poojas and seek blessings of Lord Raaghu in the morning, afternoon and evenings on a given day. A snake skin is preserved and worshipped in this temple which is said to be one that was shed on Raaghu Bhagawan by a snake in the late 80's.

Sukkiran Temple

   The Sukkiran temple is about 16 km away from the temple town of Kumbakonam and this shrine is under the control of Madurai Sri Thirugnanasambantha Swamigal Aatheenam. The presiding deity in this temple is Agneeswarar.

It is believed that Sukhra is powerful to endow people with wealth, pleasure, prosperity, fame, love, marriage etc. Navaratri and Aadipooram are the major festivals celebrated in this temple and during these festivals a large number of pilgrims gather here. Timings: 6:30 AM - 12:30 PM 4 PM - 8:30 PM  

Swami Malai Temple

   The Swami Malai temple is located at a distance of 32 kms from Thanjavur in the town of Kumbakonam and is considered to be one of the six abodes or Arupadaiveedu in Tamil that is dedicated to Lord Murugan or Subramanian.

Lord Murugan was the one who preached the Pranava mantran OM to his father Lord Shiva and that is the reason why Lord Murugan is also known as Swaminathan. The temple is constructed on a man made hillock that measures about 60 feet in height and has 60 beautifully laid stone steps that represents the Hindu cycle for about 60 years and the main deity Subramanian is at the top of this hillock.

Thingalur Temple

   Thingal is the other name of the Moon God Chandra and his abode is Thingalur. It is believed that Lord Shiva helped Lord Chandra to get over the curse of Daksha Prajapathi and asked Chandra to remain in Thingalur and help those people who suffer from the ill effects due to the placement of the moon in their horoscopes.

This temple is situated near Thiruvayaru in Thanjavur district. Abhishegams and archanas can be performed to the deity at the rate of Rs. 300/- and special poojas are conducted every Monday. Timings: 7 AM - 1 PM. 4 PM - 9 PM.  

Thiruvenkadu Temple

   The Thiruvenkadu temple is situated 23 kilometers away from Mayiladuthurai in Kumbakonam district and is dedicated to planet Budhan. This temple is located on the Sirkali – Poompuhar linking road.

The presiding deities in this temple are Swedharanyeshwarar and his consort Ambal. The Adi Devatha is Lord Vishnu and the Prathyathi Devatha is Narayanan and the main offerings include green moong dhal and rice mixed with moong dhal powder. The Thiruvenkadu temple has four rest rooms where the pilgrims can stay or take rest. Timings: 6 AM - 12:30 PM 4 PM - 8:30 PM  

Itineraries

Distances

Kodaikanal	170 km	3h, 50m
Rameswaram	244 km	5h, 40m
Coimbatore	290 km	4h, 40m
Mahabalipuram	308 km	4h, 50m
Ooty	324 km	5h, 10m
Chennai	352 km	5h, 40m
Bangalore	395 km	8h

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