THANJAVUR

The districts of Thanjavur boast of hundred of ancient temples. The town of Thanjavur was the seat of the glorious Chola Empire of Tamilnadu, and was later on the seat of the Naicks and the Marathas. True to art historian Fergus son, the Chola artists conceived like giants and finished like jewellers.

Thanjavur derives its name from Tanjan-an asura (giant) who according to local legend devastated the neighbourhoood and was killed by Sri Anandavalli Amman and Vishnu, Sri Neelamegapperumal. Tanjan`s last request that the city might be named after him was granted.

Chola History

Raja Raja Chola I, was clearly the greatest of the Chola Monarchs. During his reign (985-1014 AD)he brought stability to the Chola Kingdom, and restored from obsurity the brilliant Tevaram hymns of the Saivite Nayanmars from obscuirty. Raja Raja was a great builder.  and the Sri Brahadeswarar temple or the Big temple at Thanjavur was his creation.

Rajendra Chola the son of Raja Raja Chola was a greater conqueror who marched all the way to the banks of the Ganges. This march was commemorated with a new capital Gangaikonda Cholapuram and another `Big Temple.

Gangai Konda Cholapuram was the capital of the Cholas for about two centuries, although it is nothing more than a village now with this rather well maintained magnificient temple. 35 kilometers from Thanjavur lies Darasuram, once known as Rajarajapuram-a part of the Chola`s secondary capital of Pazhaiyarai. Here is the Airavateeswarar Temple built by Raja Raja II. It was during the regn of Kulottunga that the kambahareswarar Temple at Tribhuvanam was built.

These four temple under discussion stand out from the others in Tamilnadu in that, it is only in these that the Vimanam towers over the entrance Gopurams.

After these four temples, the Cholas went back to their traditional style of building temples with larger Gopurams and smaller central Vimanams. These temples are fitting memorials to the glory of the rulers that built, as well as monuments of pietyh and a committment to art and architecture.