Considered as the ‘rice bowl’ of Tamil Nadu, Thanjavur has many tourist spots. Its name is derived from‘Tanjan’, the legendary asura (demons in Hindu mythology). There are many Hindu (a religion in India) festivals that happen in the place. The place has its share of monuments as well as religious places of historical importance .Since it has so many tourist attractions, it is considered as an important center for art , religion , architecture and literature . Thanjavur is famous for Thanjavur paintings. The popular Thanjavur dancing doll can be bought here for those who have often seen it in other homes and have always wished to buy it. Thanjavur is also famous for handicrafts.
Let’s see the famous tourist attractions in Thanjavur.
Brihadeeswara temple
Remember this temple from your history books in school?Built by Rajaraja Chola, this temple is a world heritage site. It is a temple of Lord Shiva and was constructed in the 11th century. It is one of the best architectural sites and also enjoys the status of being a part of UNESCO World heritage site.
The Thanjavur Palace
Built by the Nayaks and Marathas, this place is a massive space with huge corridors, beautiful and royal design, and observation towers and there is an art gallery in the Nayak hall which has the best collection of artifacts from the eighth and ninth centuries.The Maratha royal family lives there and there is a temple in the palace which belongs to the family.
Grand Anicut
Built across the Kaveri River in Thanjavur district, it was constructed by a Chola king, Karikalan. Built in the first century AD, it is one of the oldest dams of the world. The purpose of the dam is to divert the waters for irrigational uses. A visit to this place makes you understand the early engineering efforts put in by people of those times.
Saraswati Mahal library
This medieval library is open on all days. It is one of the oldest libraries of Asia and has a rare collection of antiques and manuscripts .Only after the year 1918; was it converted into a public library. There is also a sales section where books are available for purchase.
Sangeetha Mahal
It is a hall of music located in Thanjavur and a place that must be on your travel list. Located in the Thanjavur palace on the first floor, it was actually used as a place where people used to perform arts and dance. Also, they have a handicraft gallery made by the Indian artisans. Considered as acoustically perfect and a great example of engineering then, this place is sure to leave you awestruck with the amalgamation of art and engineering it has on display.
Schwartz Church
The famous church is a plain building and is a marble structure .It was constructed in the memory of Frederick Christian, a Danish missionary. The highlight of the church is that it has a depiction of the last moments of the Danish missionary with the king Raja Serfoji.
