On the second last day of our 5 days trip to Madurai – Rameshwaram – Chettinad – Thanjavur – Bangalore, we reached Thanjavur. With just close to one day at hand, we had to choose wisely which places to visit in Thanjavur. And definitely it had to be the two most famous, most important iconic places in Thanjavur. The Brihadeshwara Temple. And the Thanjavur Palace. In this post, we will give you a glimpse of these 2 most important places to visit in Thanjavur. And along with that, we will also give you a complete guide to visit Thanjavur. Including places to see, best time to visit, how to reach here, where to stay and a lot more. So, read on….
An introduction to Thanjavur or Tanjore
A city in Tamil Nadu whose former name was Tanjore, Thanjavur is one of the most important art, architecture and religion centres of the state. Apart from the iconic Hindu temple – Brihadeshwara Temple and a unique Maratha Palace in South India – Tanjore Palace , it is famous for Tanjore Painting. Tanjore painting is one of the many unique forms of paintings in India. And it is the most famous painting form of this region. Also, the silk sarees and silk craft of Thanjavur are famous too. Historically, Thanjavur served as the capital of the Chola Empire for years. And during those years, it flourished as a commercial, art and religious hub of the region. Now, it is one of the most famous tourist attractions of Tamil Nadu. Attracting herds of tourists year on year.
The 2 most important places to visit in Thanjavur in a day
Brihadeshwara Temple, Thanjavur
Needless to say, the most famous and important attraction of Thanjavur is the Brihadeshwara Temple. It is a temple dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. And it is one of the largest hindu temples in India. Located on the south bank of the river Cauvery, the Brihadeshwara Temple is an architectural wonder in itself. Built by Chola emperor Rajaraja I , it represents an exemplary epitome of Tamil Architecture. Massive towers, tall gopurams, one of the largest Shivlingas, detailed inscriptions and carvings are some of the characteristic of this temple that leave you spellbound. Also, the campus is huge so you can admire the architecture from far as well as near. Wait till I take you on a virtual tour of this temple in the next post. And you will fully understand what I am talking about.
Definitely , if there is just one place that you think you have time to visit on your trip to Tanjore, pick the Brihadeshwara Temple of Thanjavur without doubt. As, it is the most important place to visit in Thanjavur.
Read : The mysteries of Brihadeeshwara Temple – the temple that doesn’t cast a shadow
Tanjore Palace or Thanjavur Maratha Palace
I must admit that I didn’t do my homework before visiting the Thanjavur Maratha Palace. As a result, not only did I allocate less time to it. And had to rush through parts of the palace. But I also grossly underestimated its size. Since, in comparison to the massive forts and palaces that I have visited on my trips to Rajasthan, I have often found the palaces and even forts of South India to be relatively small. In fact, size wise, they just cant be compared to the massive forts and palaces like the Jaipur Palace, Udaipur City Palace or the forts like Amer Fort, Khumbalgarh Fort, the fort of Mandu or Jaisalmer Fort. But this one, is definitely comparable to the palaces of rest of India in it’s size and spread. In fact, visiting the Thanjavur Maratha Palace felt like visiting another small world inside the Tanjore town!
It definitely deserves a dedicated post of its own wherein I will take you through all the nooks and corners of the Thanjavur Maratha Palace through a complete virtual tour. Wherein I cover the clock tower, the Saraswati Library, the museums inside the palace, the winding lanes and mysterious alleyways, beautiful quarters of the royalty and everything else worth a mention. So stay tuned.
But for now, just know that a visit to Tanjore or Thanjavur can’t be complete without a visit to this massive and beautifully constructed Maratha Palace right in the heart of the town. It is very accessible through the main roads. Do note that the Thanjavur Maratha Palace palace is open till 5:00pm in the evening on weekdays. And it is closed on Sundays. So, plan your trip accordingly. And allocate a minimum of 2 hours time to explore this palace. Unlike the Thirumalai Nayakar Palace in Madurai that we previously visited on the same trip, this one is massive and requires much more time.
Other places to visit in Thanjavur or Tanjore
Apart from the above two, there are several other places to visit in Thanjavur. But you will require more time at hand to visit these. Alas, we couldn’t visit any of these on our trip to Thanjavur. As we stayed there only overnight. And explored the above two most important places to visit in Thanjavur – Brihadeshwara Temple and Thanjavur Palace. However, if you have time at hand, plan to visit Gangikonda Cholapuram, Vijaynagar Fort, Shivganga Garden, Thanjai Manai Koli and Chandra Bhagwan Temple.
How to reach Thanjavur
Thanjavur is well connected with other parts of Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Karnataka via road and rail. And the nearest airport is Trichy. There is also an airport in Thanjavur but at the time of this writing, it is still not open to commercial flights. However, government has plans to open it up for public soon. Having said that, one can easily take trains to Thanjavur through Madurai, Chennai, Rameshwaram and Bangalore. Also, one can do road trip to Thanjavur from these neighbouring towns and cities. As the roads are in excellent condition and very scenic too. Here’s some of the options to reach Thanjavur via road :
From Chettinad region: Karaikudi – Pudukottai – Thanjavur (NH36)
(We took the above route while going to Thanjavur)
From Chennai : Chennai – Villupuram – Trichy – Kanyakumari Road
From Bangalore : Bangalore – Krishnagiri – Namakkal – Salem – Trichy – Thanjavur (NH44, Namakkal-Trichy Road)
(We took this route in reverse while returning from Thanjavur to Bangalore)
The town of Trichy, which is a more commercialised town of Tamil Nadu, is well connected to other towns and cities via airway, railway and roadway. And it is located at a mere 60km from Thanjavur. And the connectivity between the two towns is excellent via NH 83. So, if you have any inhibitions directly reaching Thanjavur, you will find plenty of options via Trichy. And you can easily get a cab from Trichy airport or railway station to Thanjavur. You can also base yourself in Trichy and do a day trip to Thanjavur.
Related read : A complete guide to Chettinad Tourism
Best time to visit Thanjavur
Winter season is the best time to visit Thanjavur. But, beware that in November and December there are often cyclonic low pressure created in the coastal region of Tamil Nadu. And the effects are seen in Thanjavur also in the form of moderate to heavy rain. Even when we visited here end of the year, it was raining moderately all through our stay in Thanjavur. So, do carry an umbrella. And I will suggest January and February as the best months to visit here. When it is not uncomfortably hot. And it is mostly not raining also. Although the temperature never soars too high here. So, you can also visit in the months of August, September and October or March.
Where to stay in Thanjavur
Thanjavur being one of the major cultural towns of Tamil Nadu and also a historical center, there are plenty of hotels and resorts to stay here. I will suggest book a place not too far from the Brihadeshwara Temple as you will definitely be visiting here. And the Thanjavur Maratha Palace is also just 4km from the temple. The roads are in excellent condition. And if you are not driving in your own vehicle, either your hotel can arrange for a taxi. Or, you can also take an autorickshaw to the nearby attractions. When taking an autorickshaw, do check with your hotel what charges to expect. And agree beforehand with the auto-driver on the payment to avoid hassles afterwards.
We stayed at hotel Sangam, Thanjavur. It was a beautiful hotel. With a nice breakfast spread. And also in house restaurant for lunch and dinner. Also, it is centrally located. With markets nearby. And the Brihadeshwara Temple at a walking distance of just 1.5 km from the hotel. You can definitely book a stay here. Click here to explore more stay options in Thanjavur. Do book your accommodation in advance. As Thanjavur is one of the favorite tourist destinations in Tamil Nadu.
What to pack for a trip to Thanjavur
You can pack light cotton cloths when visiting Thanjavur. As the temperature here remains warm all through the year. However, you should keep some Indian tranditional cloths for visiting temples. Although there is no hard and fast dress code. But, it is always good to respect the local tradition and culture, particularly when visiting places of worship. So, pack a salwar-kurti or saree for women, and a kurta – dhoti or kurta – payjama for men. We did carry our traditional dresses with us. Which we not only wore when visiting the temples of Thanjavur. But also in Meenakshi Amman Temple and other temples of Madurai and the Ramalingeshwara Temple in Rameshwaram.
Definitely pack an umbrella because the weather here is slightly unpredictable, being near to the coastal areas. Also, carry sunglasses and sunscreen when visiting here. Because, if it is not raining, it is definitely going to be hot and humid. Also, you can carry your water bottle almost everywhere including inside the temples. So, you can carry a reusable bottle instead of buying use and throw plastic bottles. Apart from this carry your general stuff that you will need on any trip. Check my travel packing tips and tricks to find suitable packing tips and a checklist of essential items to pack on your trip.
Have a great time exploring the cultural hub of Thanjavur!
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