Thanjavur

Thanjavur, also known as Thanjai or Tanjore, is a historic Chola-era city in Tamil Nadu, from Chennai. It is also considered the granary and 'rice bowl' of Tamil Nadu.

Understand
Thanjavur thrived as the ancient capital of the Chola kingdom, later of Marathas and Nayaks. Thanjavur was at the height of its glory during the Chola period between the 10th and 14th centuries and became a great centre of learning and culture. The Chola Empire eventually grew into one of the most powerful empires India had ever seen under the rule of Rajaraja Chola I, also known to many Tamils as Rajaraja the Great, and his son, Rajendra Chola I. Under Rajendra Chola I, the capital was moved from Thanjavur to the nearby Gangaikondacholapuram.

An important landmark in Thanjavur is the great Brihadisvara Temple, also known as the Big Temple, built by Rajaraja Chola I. It is one of the most magnificent pieces of South Indian temple architecture. Established in 1011 CE in celebration of the victory of the Chola kingdom that extended to Ceylon and some parts of the Malaya archipelago. Now it is a world heritage site.

Even today Thanjavur is not only considered the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu but also many linguists consider it the cultural capital and the dialect of Tamil spoken here to be the purest form of the language. Though the Thanjavur district is dominated by agriculture, the town itself is diverse, having a literacy rate of more than 75% and a heterogeneous mix of populations of all religions. The presence of numerous Engineering colleges nearby has increased the student population in Thanjavur.

Thanjavur is very famous for its fine paintings done with studded gems and gold leaf.

By plane
The nearest airport is Tiruchirapalli International Airport ( on road). There are direct flights from Chennai.

By train
Thanjavur is also reachable by train from other Indian cities. is the station to alight. There are daily trains to or from Chennai, Bangalore, Mysore, Ernakulam, Palakkad, Thrissur, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, Erode, Salem, Tirupur, Tirunelveli, Rameswaram and weekly trains to Tiruchendur, Bhubaneswar, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Jabalpur, Vijayawada,  Vizianagaram and to all main cities. For train timings and online reservations visit the IRCTC website. The station is nearer to the Old Bus Stand than the New Bus Stand.

By bus
There are several state and private buses that ply daily from Mannargudi, Pattukkottai, Kumbakonam, Pondicherry, Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Tiruchirappalli. The journey from Bangalore and Chennai takes about 9 hours and there are overnight buses. Some buses (from Madurai or Tiruchirappalli) arrive at the New Bus Stand in Thanjavur; located about from the centre. To travel into the city, you can take another bus (town bus, commonly in brown colours) to the centre for ₹10, asking for the Old Bus Stand.

By auto-rickshaw
Negotiate a rate with the driver before riding in an auto. Any place within the city costs a minimum of ₹80 to ₹100. The auto drivers will charge extra if you don't speak Tamil or don't negotiate well (if you seem like a pushover). Bargaining for the prices before alighting is a must.

By tourist cab
Tourist cabs are the best choice in case you want to tour the temples around Thanjavur. Drivers don't follow a fixed method for charging. But it's wise to negotiate at least the rates that are applicable in Chennai.

By cycle rickshaw
Though not popular among the locals, foreign travellers usually hire cycle rickshaws to go around Thanjavur. One can inquire about the hotel's service desk for help.

By town bus
Town buses are the cheapest means of transport for moving within the town. The maximum price of a ticket is less than ₹20. However, buses in peak hours are crowded and are filled with office goers and college students. The stopping name is Cholan Silai where you can see the statue of Rajaraja Chola I.

See and do



 * Thanjavur Palace & Saraswathi Mahal Library - Possesses very old manuscripts mostly in Tamil and Sanskrit. The library is situated inside the Saraboji Palace which contains many rare paintings depicting various Indian cities during the reign of King Saraboji.
 * Sangeetha Mahal
 * South Zone Cultural Centre
 * Siva Ganga Garden - A cute little park sandwiched between the Brihadeshwara Temple and the Schwartz Church. There are children playing area at the heart of the park and it is very pleasant to watch the innocent laughs and smile. The park has a cute little train and also a theppakulam ( a temple in the middle of the pond). Boating is also available in the pond.
 * Siva Ganga Garden - A cute little park sandwiched between the Brihadeshwara Temple and the Schwartz Church. There are children playing area at the heart of the park and it is very pleasant to watch the innocent laughs and smile. The park has a cute little train and also a theppakulam ( a temple in the middle of the pond). Boating is also available in the pond.

In and around Thanjavur there are other ancient temples like Vellai Pillaiyar Temple, Thiruvanajozhi, Lord Murugan Temple, Swami Malai, Chandra Bagawan Temple, Thingalur Moon Temple, Sukkiran Temple, Kanchanur, Kethu Temple, Keelaperumpallam, Sani Bhagawan Temple, Punnainallur Mariamman Temple, Thirunallar, Mercury Temple, Thiruvenkadu, Raaghu Temple, Thirunageshwaram, Guru Baghawan Temple at Alangudi, Thirumananjeri.

Buy
Thanjavur is famous for its 'Thanjavur dancing doll' (Thanjavur thalai attu bommai), Tanjore Paintings (Lord Krishna paintings are the best) and Tanjore art plates (Lord Balaji are the best).

There is an outlet inside the palace where old and new art works are sold. You can pay with your credit card too. Many shops accept UPI payments nowadays.

There is a Phoompuhar art Gallery, which exhibits and sell a wide range of artistic bronze idols, Thanjavur paintings and artistic plates.Its been a hot spot for the foreign travellers.

Bargaining is a necessary skill that needs to be used. Like everywhere else, foreign travellers may be charged extra and may be fleeced. Adequate precautions must be taken.

Mid-range

 * Dheen Garden - The only place where you can get grilled chicken. The food is decent. Tandoori chicken is delicious and the portion they serve is very good. Check out their murthapa.
 * Hotel Sangamam
 * Popular - This is the cheapest among the lot and the Chinese dishes are nice.
 * Rice Bowl (pla) - They serve awesome Chinese food and their starters also pretty good.
 * Thevars- The best biriyani in town
 * Thevars- The best biriyani in town
 * Thevars- The best biriyani in town

Sleep
Hotels in Thanjavur are generally not that expensive. Try to avoid booking rooms from online websites as these websites may show increase in demand and may charge extra. Calling the hotel's phone and booking is the best way. For a more adventurous soul, going to the hotel, haggling and then booking the rooms may be another way. Hotels in the centre of the town tend to cost extra due to ease of access to the tourist spots. However, one can avoid the crowds and stay at hotels near to the New Bus Stand, for ease of travel to other cities.

Budget

 * Hotel Karthik has double rooms at ₹370 and single at ₹200. Air conditioned rooms cost ₹600. This is somewhat old hotel and cleanliness is about 3 on the scale of 5, but it is just a 5 minute walk away from Bridhadeeswara Temple and 10 minute walk from the palace. Has a restaurant in the ground floor where food is good south Indian vegetarian cuisine.

Mid-range

 * Hotel Sangam - Near Ramanadhan Hospital
 * Hotel ASK Residency - located near the New Bus Stand, the hotel has a modest rate ( around ₹800 to ₹1200 depending on the type of room). They provide clean rooms as well as towels and soaps. Air conditioned rooms cost extra.
 * Hotel ASK Residency - located near the New Bus Stand, the hotel has a modest rate ( around ₹800 to ₹1200 depending on the type of room). They provide clean rooms as well as towels and soaps. Air conditioned rooms cost extra.

Splurge

 * Ideal River View Resort A little out of town but well kept and quiet.
 * Parisutham a perfectly adequate hotel with a nice pool area and good food.
 * Temple Tower near Membalam
 * Parisutham a perfectly adequate hotel with a nice pool area and good food.
 * Temple Tower near Membalam

Go next

 * Chidambaram
 * Kodaikanal
 * Kumbakonam
 * Madurai
 * Mannargudi
 * Pondicherry
 * Rajaghiri
 * Thiruvayaru