Tanjore
At Tanjore, the beautiful Chola Temple of Brihadeeshwara is capped by a
monolithic cupola made of a single granite block weighing 80 tons which
was taken to the top with the help of a 6 km long ramp, an old technique
used by the Egyptians for building pyramids. Its bronzes and handicrafts
make Tanjore one of the highlights of a visit to South India.
Thanjavur is also known for its educational facilities. There are two universities,
one medical college, five engineering colleges, fourteen arts and science
colleges and number of research centres in this city.
Places of Interest
Bragatheeswarar Temple
Rajaraja Cholan, the Great Chola king built The Bragatheeswarar (Peruvudaiyar)
Temple, also known as Big Temple. "In the twenty-fifth year of Rajaraja
Cholan (A.D 1009-10) on the 257th day of the year the king handed over the
copper pot for the finial at the top of the Vimana". It weighed about 235
lbs., and was overlaid with gold plate of weight of 292.5 Kalanju or nearly
35 lbs.
Shivaganga Fort
The quadrangular Shivaganga Fort, Southwest of the old City, was built by
the nayakaruler, Sevappa Nayaka, in the mid-16th century. Its battle mented
stone walls, which enclose an area of 14 ha (35 acres) are surrounded by
a partly rock cut moat. The Square Shivaganga Tank in the fort was excavated
to provide drinking water for the City. The fort also contains The great
Brihadishvara Temple, Schwartz Church, and public amusement park.
Royal Museum
A remarkable collection of South Indian sculptures and paintings is housed
in the old palace buildings at Thanjavur (Tanjore). Thanjavur has been an
art centre of great importance throughout almost the entire history of Tamil
Nadu. During the Chola period, two magnificent temples were built in this
region, the Brihadeswara Temple and the Gangaikondacholapuram Temple ( 10th
to 11th centuries). Today, the town is a flourishing centre for bronze sculpture,
stonework and paintings. The palace was originally built by the Nayak rulers
of Tamil Nadu. It was this dynasty that added to and enlarged many of the
temples, with ornate and often huge sculptures. The palace building, set
within a large compound, also contains the Saraswati Library and the Sangeetha
Sabha, or Music Hall.
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