Thanjavur

Thanjavur is a historic city in Tamil Nadu’s fertile Cauvery delta at 57 metres above sea level, about 350 kilometres south of Chennai. Once the capital of the mighty Chola Empire from 850 to 1279 CE, Thanjavur history reflects the golden age of classical Tamil civilisation in art, architecture, and music. The magnificent Brihadeeswarar Temple, completed in 1010 CE by Rajaraja I, stands as the defining Thanjavur temple and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. Its 66 metre main shikhara was the tallest in India when constructed and remains one of the greatest achievements of medieval temple design. Among leading Thanjavur tourist places, the temple dominates the skyline, while the Tanjore Maratha Palace from the 17th to 19th century preserves bronzes, royal artefacts, and traditional paintings. The city gave birth to the famed Tanjore painting style known for gold leaf and gem detailing, and it continues as a centre for crafting veena and tanpura instruments central to Carnatic music. Across Thanjavur district, more than 90 Chola era temples create one of India’s densest clusters of medieval sacred architecture.