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Chennai |
Mamallapuram
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Kanchipuram
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Tiruvanamalai
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Chidambaram
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Kumbakonam |
Thanjavor |
Tiruchinapalli
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Madurai |
Rameshwaram
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Kanyakumari
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Ooty |
Kodaikanal |
Coimbatore |
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Area : 29.24
sq.km
Altitude : 59 meteres
Languages : English, Tamil, Marathi.
Thanjavur was the ancient capital of the cholas (985-1014) whose
origins go back to the beginning of the Christian era. It reflects
exclusive chola culture in its temples, its architecture and art.
The chola kings were great patrons of art and lavished their wealth
on the same. They also encouraged the belief in the divine rights of
kings and so this side of architecture along with the ‘blue skinned’
gods ( Vishnu) is replaced by white skin throughtout, the blue skin
reflecting the kings themselves. A vaishnavite culture, lord Krishna
(Vishnu) is the most popularly worshipped. They built most of
thanjavur’s 93 temples.
Visiting thanjavur is something like visiting a live museum. Every
road and corner breathes history and heritage. Culture is in the air
in his town, which is also known for its green opastures and lushy
paddy fields. The rulers of thanjavur, the cholas, nayakas and
sarfojis, have ever to be thanked for their monumental contribution
to the culture of India. Temples , idols, paintings, art works,
thanjavur is like Rome in Europe or Egypt in Africa. It has received
international recognition and notice for its rare monuments. UNESCO
has declared the awesome Brihadeeswara temple, a world heritage
monument.
Places of attraction :-
Thanjavur Palace and Museum:
Just 1 km from the Brihadeeswarar Temple is a magnificent palace
surrounded by huge fort magnificent palace surrounded by huge fort
walls. Dating back to the 14th century AD it was built partly by the
Nayakas and partly by the Marathas. The Maratha royal family resides
in this palace. The royal family’s sacred “Chandramauleeshwar
Temple” lies within the palace walls. Endless corridors strategic
observatories and arsenals beautiful shady courtyards are the most
dominant features of the Palace.
Partly constructed by the Nayaks and partly by the Marathas in 1550
AD the blend of cultures is exotic collection of regal memorabilia
most of it dating from the early 19th century when Serfoji II ruled.
The Museum has a superb collection of Chola bronze statues from the
9th to 12th centuries. The Saraswati Mahal Library is between the
gallery and the palace museum.
Rajaraja Chola Art Gallery:
Some of the finest sculptures in bronze and stone dating back to the
9th century are on display here. The attraction however is the
collection of over 30,000 Indian and European manuscripts written on
plam leaf and papers preserved in the Saraswati Mahal.
Sangeet Mahal:
Sangeet (music) receives the ultimate tribute with the most amazing
acoustics in this marvellous music hall.
Brihadeeswara Temple and Fort:
A true legacy of the Chola dynasty the Brihadeeswara Temple was
built by Raja Raja in 1010 and is one of truest gems of India. This
temple is the crowning glory of Chola temple architecture. The dome
which is 63 mts. High is said to have been constructed from a single
piece of granite weighing around 81 tones. The dome was hauled into
place along a 6.5 kms ramp ( similar to the one used for the
construction of Egyptian pyramids). The temple set in a spacious
ground has several pillared halls and shrines and 250 linga
enshrined along the outer walls. The entrance is through two
gateways.
This superb and fascinating monument is one of only a handful in
India with World Heritage listing and is worth a couple of visits.
It continues to be worshipped now for over a 1000 years.The temple
now comes under the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey but
worship here has recommenced.The Archaeological Museum on the
southern side of the courtyard has some interesting sculptures and
photographs that show the temple before restoration. |
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