Thanjavur

Former capital of the Chola dynasty, whose three Great Living Chola Temples are a World Heritage Site; Thanjavur makes a base for the temples of Kumbakonam and the great Srirangam temple.

Thanjavur (formerly Tanjore) lies in the Kaveri Delta in eastern Tamil Nadu, India. It was the capital of the Chola dynasty, which dominated South India and the seas of Southeast Asia from the 9th to the 13th century. Known as the 'Rice Bowl of Tamil Nadu' and South India's capital of classical arts, it is where Thanjavur painting, bronze casting, the veena and Bharatanatyam all came to maturity. The three 'Great Living Chola Temples' – the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur, the Airavatesvara Temple in Darasuram and the Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple – are jointly inscribed as a World Heritage Site. From a base in Thanjavur you can plan three routes: a day in the city, seeing the Big Temple, the palace art gallery and the Saraswathi Mahal Library; a day trip northeast via Swamimalai and Darasuram to Kumbakonam, the 'temple town', continuing to Gangaikonda Cholapuram about 70 km away; and a day trip west to Tiruchirappalli, about 55 km away, for the Srirangam Temple, Jambukeswarar Temple and the Rock Fort, passing the Kallanai Dam on the way. The climate is hot; Oct–Mar is best (Oct–Dec brings northeast monsoon rains), while Apr–Jun often reaches 40°C. Getting there: the nearest airport is Tiruchirappalli (about 60 km), with flights to Chennai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and more; trains run from Thanjavur station to Chennai (about 6–8 hours); for nearby sights, hire a car or take state-run buses. Allow 2–3 days. Remove your shoes at temples and cover shoulders and knees; most temples close their inner sanctums from 12–4 pm, so visit early in the morning or late afternoon.

Top sights

• Brihadisvara Temple – The great Shiva temple completed in 1010 by Rajaraja I of the Chola dynasty. Its 66-meter main tower is the pinnacle of South Indian temple…
• Thanjavur Maratha Palace – A palace complex of the Nayak and Maratha dynasties, housing the Chola Bronze Gallery, a clock tower, and a music hall. It's the perfect fi…
• Airavatesvara Temple, Darasuram – A 12th-century Shiva temple built by Rajaraja II of the Chola dynasty in Darasuram. Its stone carvings are as finely detailed as jewelry, a…
• Brihadisvara Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram – The grand temple of the new capital, built by Rajendra Chola I to commemorate his campaign to the Ganges. Its graceful curving tower and fi…
• Saraswathi Mahal Library – One of the oldest libraries in Asia, holding tens of thousands of palm-leaf manuscripts and paper manuscripts, with a small exhibition hall…
• Schwartz Church – A church built in 1779 by the Maratha king in memory of the Danish missionary Schwartz, containing a marble relief by the British sculptor…
• Punnainallur Mariamman Temple – The most popular goddess temple on the eastern outskirts of Thanjavur, dedicated to the goddess Mariamman, who is believed to cure illness…
• Adi Kumbeswarar Temple – The main Shiva temple in Kumbakonam, with an impressive nine-tiered gateway tower and long colonnades, housing the lingam of the “sacred po…
• Sarangapani Temple – The largest Vishnu temple in Kumbakonam, with a main shrine shaped like a chariot pulled by stone horses and elephants, and a 12-tier gatew…
• Mahamaham Tank – A huge sacred tank in the centre of Kumbakonam, surrounded by 16 small shrines. The festival held here once every 12 years is known as the…
• Swaminatha Swamy Temple, Swamimalai – One of the six sacred sites of Murugan, built on an artificial hill. The 60 steps leading up correspond to the 60 years of the Tamil calend…
• Oppiliappan Temple – A Vishnu pilgrimage site on the outskirts of Kumbakonam where no salt is ever added to offerings. It is known as the “Southern Tirupati.”
• Kallanai (Grand Anicut) – A stone dam on the Kaveri River built in the 2nd century CE by the Chola king Karikala, considered one of the oldest water-engineering stru…
• Aiyarappar Temple, Thiruvaiyaru – An ancient Shiva temple on the banks of the Kaveri north of Thanjavur, next to the tomb of the Carnatic music saint Thyagaraja and the venu…

Where to eat

• Sree Ariya Bhavan – Old vegetarian restaurant founded in 1964, Thanjavur's most reviewed South Indian eatery.
• Sathars Restaurant – Long-established non-veg restaurant on Gandhi Road, known for Thanjavur-style chicken biryani and Chettinad curries.
• Kannappa Restaurant – Chettinad non-veg restaurant on New Bus Stand Road, popular for Tamil Nadu-style mutton biryani.

Itineraries

• Tamil Nadu Temple Trail – Travel south from Chennai to Madurai, exploring Pallava rock carvings, Great Living Chola Temples, and the sacred Pamba…
• South India Coast-to-Coast: Chennai to Kochi – From the Bay of Bengal to the Arabian Sea, traverse temple plains, Chettinad, tea hills, and backwaters.