Tanjore or Thanjavur as it is called today, the splendour of a marvellous past has left its imprint in stone and legend that rises in monumental tribute to the fabulous kings and queens who've left their indelible mark. There is a temple on almost every street. And the sleepy small town's main tourist attraction remains the celebrated Brihadeshwara Temple.

History Channel
Tanjore has been famously associated with the Cholas. It became a strong political and religious centre under the reign of the most illustrious Chola king, Raja Raja I (985-1014). The political power of the Chola dynasty began to diminish in the 13th century when the dynasty became a mere extension of the Hoysalas of Karnataka as they battled against the Pandyas in Madurai and suffered many humiliating defeats.

The Temple Is The Town
The 'vimana' (central pyramidal tower) of the Brihadeshwara temple (dedicated to Shiva) soars approximately 66 meters in height, perfectly proportionate and simply elegant.

The resident temple elephant greets passers-by at the entrance and blesses them with a benign wave of his trunk as they stare at him, feed him with bananas, or attempt to take pictures.

By dawn, the temple is a serious place of worship as priest and devotees alike do the rounds of the inner sanctum.

By dusk, you could be at a Mardi Gras carnival. There's hardly an evening when a young Bharatanatyam dancer doesn't perform her 'arangetram' (first professional solo dance performance) in this perfect setting.

The evening ends with the final 'aarti'. And amidst the enveloping darkness, the solid form of the temple seems to rise from the earth and merge into the impenetrable void of the star-lit sky.

How To Get There
Nearest Airports: Chennai (Metro Airport) and Trichy.
By Road: Trichy is 54 km away. Tanjore is well connected by road to other towns in the state.
By Train : The Rockfort Express runs from Chennai. There are also several trains from Chennai to Trichy, from where you can proceed by road.

What To See
In Tanjore
The Brihadeshwara Temple A great tribute to both Chola and Dravidian architecture. And one of the most magnificent temples in India.

The Palace was built partly by the Nayaks and partly by the Marathas. The Art Gallery has a superb and unique collection of Chola bronze statues dating from the 9th to 12th centuries. The Saraswathi Mahal Library was established in approximately 1700 AD, and has a collection of over 44,000 palm leaf and paper manuscripts in the Indian and European languages.

Around Tanjore
Thiruvaiyaru, 13 kms from Tanjore is home to an amazing Shiva temple. The famous saint Thyagaraja lived and attained 'samadhi' here. Located 32 kms away, Swamimalai is part of one of the six abodes dedicated to Lord Subramanya. Kumbakonam, 36 km from Tanjore, boasts of five major temples, namely Sarangapani, Kumbeswarar, Nageswara and Ramaswamy temples and a unique Brahma temple. Darasuram, 34 kms away, was built by Rajendra Chola and has two beautiful temples dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Gangaikondacholapuram, 61 km northeast of Tanjore, has a huge temple tank that once had pots of water from the Ganges emptied into it by subservient kings to the Chola empire during their reign. It was a capital city built by the Chola ruler Rajendra I (1012-44), the son of the great king Raja Raja Chola I. The name of this town means 'the town of the Chola who conquered the Ganga.'

Velankani: Located 90 km away from Tanjore, it is famous for the church dedicated to 'Our Lady of Health' and it attracts devotees of all faiths.

Point Calimere: 112 km away. It is famous for its migratory water birds, especially flamingos that visit from November to January. Salt mountains are also a feature along the route to Point Calimere. But, be warned; It is a bad stretch of roads.