Tanjore is an ancient city in Tamil Nadu, situated on the banks of Kaveri River. It was earlier known as Thanjavur, derived from the name of a demon Tanjan- an asura. It is also known as the 'Rice Bowl of South India'. Even referred to as the cultural capital, it has contributed significantly to the field of art and craft. It has produced many Carnatic classical musicians, Bharatnatyam dancers, and in fact is a popular destination for Natyanjali Dance Festival. It is also renowned for Tanjore Paintings, repercussion instrument 'Thavil', classical string musical instrument 'Veena' and Thanjavur Dolls. As a result, Tanjore can be termed ideal for travel and tourism.

Tourist Attractions

The ancient city of Tanjore has a host of historical sites to offer. Sri Brihadeswara Temple is the main attraction here. One of the most renowned Hindu temples in the world, it is amongst the 'World Heritage Sites' of UNESCO. Built by Rajaraja Chola I, it is also known as the Big Temple. The 'Vimana' of the temple is 70 meters high while the 'Shikharam' carved out of a single stone, weighs around 80 tons. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva, worshipped in the form of Lingam. A Nandi Bull statue is placed at the entrance of the temple, which weighs around 27 tons.

Another remarkable structure in the city is Tanjore Palace. It was partly built by the Nayakas and partly by Marathas. It is a huge monument comprising of spacious halls, wide corridors, sheltered courtyards and soaring towers. It houses many other structures within its premises. The Royal Museum in the complex showcases the effects of the rulers of the yore. The Art Gallery, housed in the Nayak Hall has a rare collection of artifacts of the 8th and the 9th century, belonging to the Chola Dynasty. The bronze and granite statues and the bell tower exhibit the craftsmanship of that era.

The palace also houses a library called Saraswati Mahal. Preserved in its bounds are 30, 000 palm leaves and paper manuscripts in Indian and European languages. It is a must visit place for academics and researchers. In a garden near the Palace, there is a tank called the Shiva Ganga Tank. It served as the chief source of water for the inhabitants of the palace. Besides, the Chola kings were highly tolerant in case of religion. This is evident from the Schwartz Church, which was built by Rajah Serfoji in the palace garden. It was constructed in 1779 in the memory of C. V. Schwartz from Danish Mission.

Another place worth visiting in this city is Tholkappiyar Sadukkam. It is a square, which contains a tower in the center. Built during the 8th World Tamil Conference, the tower provides a panoramic view of the city around. Mariamman Temple (Punnai Nallur) situated at a distance of 6 km from the main town, it is a temple dedicated to Goddess Mariamman. The shrine is quite magnificent and attracts devotees in huge numbers every year. Some other places worth seeing in the city are Sharja Madi and Rajarajan Mani Mandapam.

How to Reach
By Air: The nearest airport from the city lies at Trichy. It is connected to all the major cities of the country and the world.

By Rail: Tanjore is an important railway junction of Southern railway. It has it s own railway station, which is connected to the rest of the country, via regular trains.Z

By Road: Tanjore has a very strong road network. It is well connected to all the parts of the country, with the help of National and State Highways. The effective bus service provided by the state transport authorities make it quite easy to reach the city.