Known as the Lourdes of India, this prosperous town has developed as a great place of pilgrimage not only for the Roman Back view of Basilica Catholic Christians, but also to Hindus and Muslims. It is located on the sea shore in idyllic surroundings at the confluence of river Vellayan… Continue reading
This important port town has the shrine of Soundaryaraja Perumal and is considered as an important Vaishnava shrine. According to the legend, it was at this place that goddess Parvati got back her original Saundarya (beauty) after worshipping Vishnu. Another rarity of this place is the idol of Ashtabhuja Narasimha… Continue reading
Pullaimangal: 16 kms. A tiny village having an ancient Shiva temple dedicated to Brahmapureeshwara, is very close to the main road. It is not only a temple of art and sculpture but also a centre where other arts flourished in the past. The origin of the temple goes back to… Continue reading
Kalyanapuram: 8 kms. This is a small village very near Thiruvaiyaru and has the famous Srinivasa Perumal temple. The popular belief is that Lord Srinivasa chose this place not being able to bear the noise of Tirumala. A notable feature in this temple is that the Thiru Kalyanam takes place… Continue reading
Karundhittangadi Temple: 2 kms. Within the outskirts of the city is a famous Shiva shrine north of Vadalur river dedicated to Vasishteshwara along with his consort Tripurasundari Ammal. It is said that this temple was constructed a century before the great Brihadishwara temple was planned. It has several beautifully carved… Continue reading
Thiruvaiyaru: 13 kms. Situated on the banks of river Cauvery, the place has the samadhi of Saint Thyagaraja, the famous composer who lived in the 19th century. A beautiful temple has come up over the memorial due to the initial efforts of the famous musician Bangalore Nagarathnamma and several other… Continue reading
. Sangitha Mahal: This is also called as th e Mansion of Music perfectly planned in acoustics, auditorium and other details. Renovated recently, it brings back the past glory. This monument was built by Raja Sarfoji and bears resemblance to the court of the Palace of Tirumala Nayak at Madurai…. Continue reading
Saraswati Mahal: A portion of the Thanjavur Palace has been converted into Maharaja Sarfoji Saraswati Mahal Library. It contains many useful and very rare or nearly unique books, many of which are unknown or quite difficult to procure. The library has the original works of many Nayak and Mahratta kings,… Continue reading
Brihadishwara Temple: This grandest temple is one of the most famous living monuments of the world. Conceived by the great Raja Raja Chola and built by master architects, this monument is one of the finest contributions by the Chola dynasty. Inspite of the city having come under the sway of… Continue reading
Thanjavur was once the capital of the Chola, Nayak and Maratha rulers and is situated in the delta of river Cauvery. The name Thanjavur is said to have been derived from Thanja, a demon who was haunting the locality and who, according the legend, was destroyed by Lord Vishnu. As… Continue reading