Kumbakonam temple

  

Kumbakonam

Also spelt as Coombaconum in the records of British India, is a town and a special grade municipality in theThanjavur district in the southeast Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located 40 km (25 mi) from Thanjavur and 273 km (170 mi) from Chennai and is the headquarters of the Kumbakonam taluk of Thanjavur district. The town is bounded by two rivers, the Kaveri River to the north and Arasalar River to the south. According to the 2011 census, Kumbakonam has a population of 140,156 and has a strong Hindu majority; but it also has sizeable Muslim and Christian populations. Kumbakonam is known as a "temple town" due to the prevalence of a number of temples here and is noted for its Mahamaham festival which attracts people from all over the globe.

Kumbakonam dates back to the Sangam period and was ruled by the Early Cholas, Pallavas, Medieval Cholas, Later Cholas,Pandyas, the Vijayanagar Empire, Madurai Nayaks, Thanjavur Nayaks and the Thanjavur Marathas. It rose to be a prominent city between the 7th and 9th centuries AD, when it served as a capital of the Medieval Cholas. The town reached the zenith of its prosperity during the British Raj when it was a prominent centre of European education and Hindu culture; and it acquired the cultural name, the "Cambridge of South India". In 1866, Kumbakonam was officially constituted as a municipality, which today comprises 45 wards, making it the second largest municipality in Thanjavur district.

LIST OF TEMPLES AND THEIR LOCATION

Mahamaham Festival

Temples in and around Kumbakonam

Navagraha Temples

List of Temples

PLACE	LOCATION	PRINCIPAL DEITY
AADANOOR	9 Kms. from Kumbakonam on the Thiruvaiyaru Road	ANDALUKKUMAYYAN
AMMANKUDI	20 Kms from Kumbakonam	KAILASANADAR
AVOOR	10 Kms from Kumbakonam to  Thanjavur via Melatur	PASUPATHEESWARAR
AZHAGA  PUTHUR      (ARISIRKARAI PPUTHUR)	5 Kms from Kumbakonam on the Thiruvarur Road	SORNAPUREESWARAR
DARASURAM	4 Kms from Kumbakonam on the Thanjavur Road	AIRAVADESWARAR
ENKAN	32 Kms from Kumbakonam on the road to Thiruvarur(Near Kudavasal)	LORD SUBRAMANYA
GANAPATHIAGRAHARAM	25 Kms from Kumbakonam on the road to Thiruvaiyyaru.	LORD VINAYAKA
HARIDWARAMANGALAM	28 Kms from Kumbakonam	PADALESWARAN
INNAMBOOR	3 Kms from north from Puliyanchery which is on the Kumbakonam - Swamimalai road	EZHUTHARINATHAR
KAPISTHALAM	Near Swamimalai on the  Kumbakonam- Thiruvayyaru Road	GAJENDRA VARADAN
KONERI RAJAPURAM(THIRUNALLAM)	4 Kms from pudur, a stop on theKumbakonam- karaikkal road	UMA MAHESWARAR (BOOMI NATHAR)
KOTTAIYOOR  (KOTEESWARAM)	6 Kms on the Kumbakonam-Swamimalai  Road	KOTEESWARAR
KUDAVASAL(KUDAVAYIL)	20 Kms from Kumbakonam on the road to Tiruvarur	KONESWARAR
ADHI KUMBESWARA SWAMI  TEMPLE	IN Kumbakonam Town	ADHI KUMBESWARAR
NAGESWARASWAMI TEMPLE	IN Kumbakonam Town	NAGESWARA
SOMESWARAR TEMPLE	IN Kumbakonam Town	SOMESWARA
KASI VISWANATHAR TEMPLE	IN Kumbakonam Town	KASI VISWANATHA
BANA PUREESWARA TEMPLE	IN Kumbakonam Town	BANA PUREESWARA
SARANGAPANI TEMPLE	IN Kumbakonam Town	SARANGAPANI
CHAKRAPANI TEMPLE	IN Kumbakonam Town	CHAKRAPANI
RAMASWAMY TEMPLE	IN Kumbakonam Town	LORD RAMA
KUTTALAM	26 Kms from Kumbakonam on Mayiladuthurai Road	UKTHA VEETHEESWARAR
MANNARGUDI	36 Kms from Kumbakonam Via  Needamangalam	SRI RAJA GOPALA
MAYILADUTHURAI	35 Kms from Kumbakonam	MAYURANATHAR
NANNILAM(MADHUVANAM)	30 Kms from Kumbakonam on the road to Nagore	MADUVANESWARAR
NALLOOR	2 kms from Vazhapazhasalai, which is on Kumbakonam- Thanjavur  Road	KALYANA SUNDARESWARAR
NATCHIAR KOIL	12 Kms from Kumbakonam on the  Tiruvarur Road	SRINIVASA
OOTHUKADU	20 Kms from Kumbakonam on the Thanjavur  Road via Melatur	VEDA NARAYANAR
PASUPATHI KOIL	Around 30 Kms from Kumbakonam on the Thanjavur Road	BRAHMA PUREESWARAR
PATTEESWARAM	10 Kms from Kumbakonam on the road to Thanjavur Via  Melattur	DHENUPUREESWARAR
PAZHAYARAI	Near Patteswaram	SOMESWARAR
POOVANOOR	It is in between Needamangalam and Mannargudi  on Kumbakonam-Mannargudi  road	PUSHPAVANESWARAR
SENGANOOR	Near Thirupanandal on Kumbakonam- Madras Road	SATHYAGIRINATHAR
SIRUGUDI(SOOTCHUMAPURI)	3 Kms from Katakambadi on the  Kumbakonam - Natchiar Koil Road	SOOTCHUMA PUREESWARAR
SWAMIMALAI	8 Kms from  Kumbakonam on Thiruvayyaru Road	SWAMINATHA SWAMI
THERAZHUNDOOR	10 Kms from Mayiladuthurai on Kumbakonam-Mayiladuthutrai Road	KOSAGAR
THIRUCHERAI	15 Kms from Kumbakonam on  Kumbakonam - Tiruvarur Road	SARANATHATPERUMAL
THIRUKKANNAMANGAI	36 Kms from Kumbakonam on Kumbakonam-Tiruvarur Road Via Kudavasal	BAKTHAVATSALAR
THIRUKKARUGAVOOR	7 Kms from Papanasam, which is on the Kumbakonam- Thanjavur Road	GARBAPUREESWARAR
THIRUKKODIKKAVAL	Situated  in the  Kumbakonam-Kadiramangalam Road	KOTEESWARAR
THIRUMANANCHERI	8 Kms from Kuttalam, which is  10 kms from Mayiladuthurai on Kumbakonam-Mayiladuthurai road	KALYANA SUNDARAR
THIRUMANGALAKKUDI	2 Kms from Aduthurai, which is 15 kms from  Kumbakonam on Kumbakonam- Mayiladuthurai Road	PRANAVARADESWARAR
THIRUMARUGAL	About  9 Kms from Nannilam on the  Road to Nagore	MANIKKAVANNAR
THIRUNARAIYOOR	On the Kumbakonam- Tiruvarur Road	SIDDHANADESWARAR
THIRUNEELAKKUDI	On the Kumbakonam-karaikkal Road near Thirunageswaram	NEELAKANDESWARAR
THIRUPPAMPURAM	2 kms from Karkathi which is on the Kumbakonam- Karaikkal Road	SESHAPUREESWARAR
THIRUPANANDAL	19 Kms from Kumbakonam on Madras Road	SADAIYAPPAR
THIRUPURAMBIYAM	4.5 Kms from Innambar, which is 3 Kms from north from Puliyanchery which is on the Kumbakonam - Swamimalai road.	SATCHINATHAR
THIRUBUVANAM	5 Kms from Kumbakonam on Kumbakonam - Mayiladuthurai Road	KAMBAHARESWARAR
THIRUVAIGAVOOR	4.5  Kms from Thirupurambiyam	VILVAVANESWARAR
THIRUVALANCHUZHI	6 Kms from Kumbakonam on Kumbakonam - Swami malai Road via Dharasuram	KARPAGA NATHESWARAR
THIRUVANCHIYAM  (SRIVANCHIYAM)	On the Kumbakonam - Nagoor Road, near Nannilam	VANCHIHINGESWARAR
THIRUVAVADUTHURAI	2 Kms from  Narasingampettai, which is at 16 kms from Kumbakonam-Mayiladuthurai Road	MASILAMANEESWARAR
THIRUVEEZHIMAZHAI	Near Eravancheri on the Kumbakonam-Peralam Road	NETHARAR PARESWARAR
THIRUVIDAI MARUDOOR	6 Kms from Kumbakonam on Kumbakonam -Mayiladuthurai  Road	MAHALINGESWARAR
THIRUVISANALOOR	8 kms from Kumbakonam	YAGANANDESWARAR
UPPILIPPAN KOIL	10 Kms from Kumbakonam-Karaikkal Road	OPPILIYAPAN
VALANGAIMAN	12 Kms from Kumbakonam on Manargudi  Road	MARIAMMAN

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
Etymology  The name "Kumbakonam", roughly translated in English as the "Pot's Corner", is believed to be an allusion to the mythical pot (kumbha) of the Hindu god Brahma that contained the seed of all living beings on earth. The kumbha is believed to have been displaced by a pralaya (dissolution of the universe) and ultimately came to rest at the spot where the town of Kumbakonam now stands. This event is now commemorated in the Mahamaham festival held every 12 years. Kumbakonam is also known as Baskarashetram  and Kumbam  from time immemorial and as Kudanthai in ancient times. Kumbakonam is also spelt as Coombaconum in the records of British India. Kumbakonam was also formerly known by the Tamil name of Kudamukku. Kumbakonam is also identified with the Sangam age settlement of Kudavayil.
History The region around Kumbakonam was inhabited as early as the Sangam Age (3rd century BC to 3rd century AD). The present-day Kumbakonam is believed to be the site of the ancient town of Kudavayil where the Early Chola king Karikala held his court.  Some scholars identify Kumbakonam as the site of the fabled prison of Kudavayir-kottam where the Chera king Kanaikkal Irumporai was imprisoned by the Early Chola king Kocengannan. Kumbakonam is identified with the town of Malaikūrram which had served as the Chola capital as early as the 7th century and with the town of Solamaligai which had also served as a Chola capital.According to the Sinnamanur plates, Kumbakonam was the site of a battle between thePallava king Sri Vallabha and the then Pandya king in 859  and between the Pandya king Srimara Pandya and a confederacy of the Cholas and Gangas.   Kumbakonam came into limelight during the rule of the Medieval Cholas who ruled from the 9th century to the 12th century. The town of Pazhaiyaarai, 8 km (5.0 mi) from Kumbakonam was the capital of the Chola Empire in the 9th century.

Following the decline of the Chola kingdom, Kumbakonam was conquered by the Pandyas in 1290. Following the demise of the Pandya kingdom in the 14th century, Kumbakonam was conquered by the Vijayanagar Empire. Krishnadevaraya (1509–29), the emperor of Vijayanagara visited the town in 1524 and is believed to have bathed in the famous Mahamaham tank during the Mahamaham festival. Kumbakonam was ruled by the Madurai Nayaks and the Thanjavur Nayaks from 1535 to 1673 when it fell to the Marathas. Each of these foreign dynasties had a considerable impact on the demographics and culture of the region. When the Vijayanagar Empire fell in 1565, there was a mass influx of poets, musicians and cultural artists from the kingdom.

According to the chronicles of the Hindu monastic institution, the Kanchi matha, the matha was temporarily transferred to Kumbakonam in the 1780s following an invasion of Kanchipuram by Hyder Ali of Mysore. When Tipu Sultan invaded the east coast of South India in 1784, Kumbakonam bore the brunt of his invasion. The produce fell sharply and the economy collapsed. Kumbakonam did not recover from the calamity till the beginning of the 19th century.

Sculpture on the walls of Nageswaran temple

Kumbakonam was eventually ceded to the British East India Company in 1799 by the Thanjavur Maratha ruler Serfoji II (1777 -1832) and reached the zenith of its prosperity in the late 19th and early 20th century  when it emerged as an important center of Brahminism, Hindu religion and European education in the Madras Presidency. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 fostered trade contacts with the United Kingdom. In 1877, railway lines were completed linking Kumbakonam with the ports of Madras, Tuticorin and Nagapattinam. The Tanjore district court was established in Kumbakonam in 1806 and functioned from 1806 to 1863.

Kumbakonam continued to grow even after India's independence though it fell behind the nearby town of Thanjavur in terms of population and administrative importance. The population growth rate began to fall sharply after 1981. This decline has been attributed to limited land area and lack of industrial potential. During the Mahamaham festival of 1992, there was a major stampede in which 48 people were killed and 74 were injured. On July 16, 2004, a devastating fire in the Sri Krishna school killed 94 children

Geography

Kumbakonam is located at 10.97°N 79.42°E. It is situated 273 km (170 mi) south of Chennai, 96 km (60 mi) east of Tiruchirappalli, and about 40 km (25 mi) north-east of Thanjavur. It lies in the region called the "Old delta" which comprises the north-western taluks of Thanjavur district that have been naturally irrigated by the waters of the Cauvery and its tributaries for centuries in contrast to the "New Delta" comprising the southern taluks that were brought under irrigation by the construction of the Grand Anicut canal and the Vadavar canal in 1934. It has an average elevation of 26 metres (85 ft). The town is bounded by two rivers, the Cauvery River on the north and Arasalar River on the south.

Although the Cauvery delta is usually hot, the climate of Kumbakonam and other surrounding towns is generally healthy and moderate. Kumbakonam is cooler than Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu.  The maximum temperature in summer is about 40 °C (104 °F) while the minimum temperature is about 20 °C (68 °F).  Kumbakonam receives an annual rainfall of 114.78 cm (45.19 in) every year. The region is covered with mainly alluvial or black soil which is conducive for rice cultivation. Other crops grown in Kumbakonam include mulberry,cereals and sugarcane.

The town of Kumbakonam is surrounded by extensive paddy fields. Methods of irrigation were considerably improved following the opening of the Mettur Dam in 1934.The fauna of the Cauvery Delta is limited to cattle and goats. The town is situated at the western flank of the Kumbakonam-Shiyali ridge which runs along the Kollidam river basin separating the Ariyalur-Puducherry depression from the Nagapattinam depression. This granular ridge projects further eastwards penetrating the Puducherry depression and forms a hard layer of cretaceous rock underneath the sedimentary top soil.

Temples 

Kumbakonam is known for its temples and mathas (monasteries). There are around 188 Hindu temples within the municipal limits of Kumbakonam.  Apart from these, there several thousand temples around the town thereby giving the town the sobriquets "Temple Town" and "City of temples".

Adi Kumbeswarar Temple is considered to be the oldest Shaiva (the sect of the god Shiva) shrine in the town, believed to be constructed by the Cholas in the 7th century. The Nageswaraswamy Temple has a separate shrine for the Sun god Surya who is believed to have worshipped Shiva at this place. Adi Kumbeswarar temple, Nageswaraswamy temple and Kasi Viswanathar temple are Shiva temples in the town revered in the Tevaram, a Tamil Shaiva canonical work of the 7th–8th century.  Kumbakonam has one of the few temples dedicated to the god Brahma.

Sarangapani temple is the largest Vaishnava (the sect of the god Vishnu) shrine present in Kumbakonam. The present structure of the temple having a twelve storey high tower was constructed by Nayak kings in the 15th century. It is one of the "Divya Desams", the 108 temples of Vishnu revered by the 12 Alvarsaint-poets. The Ramaswamy temple, which has scenes from the Hindu epic Ramayana depicted on its walls, was constructed by Govinda Dikshitar, the minister of successive Nayak rulers, Achuthappa Nayak (1560–1614) and Raghunatha Nayak (1600–34). He added a commercial corridor between the temple and the older Chakrapani temple, which in modern times is called Chinna Kadai Veethi, a commercial street in the town.

Pilgrims from all parts of India take a holy dip once every 12 years during the Mahamaham festival in the Mahamaham tank. An estimated 2 million pilgrims participated in the festival during the 2004 event. Govinda Dikshitar constructed the sixteen mandapams (shrines) and stone steps around this tank.

Kumbakonam also has a number of mathas. The Sri Sankara matha of Kanchipuram was moved to Kumbakonam during the reign of Pratap Singh  (1739–63) and remained in Kumbakonam until the 1960s. There are also two Vellalar mathas in the nearby towns of Dharmapuram and Thiruppanandal and a Raghavendra matha in Kumbakonam. There is also a branch of the Vaishnava Ahobila mutt in Kumbakonam.

The Thenupuriswarar Temple at Patteeswaram, the Oppiliappan Kovil, the Swamimalai Murugan temple and the Airavateswarar temple at Darasuram are located in the vicinity of Kumbakonam. The Airavatesvara Temple built by Rajaraja Chola II (1146–73) during 12th century is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur, the Gangaikondacholisvaram Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram that are referred as the Great Living Chola Temples.

Transport and utility services

Kumbakonam is well-connected by road and rail with the rest of India. The nearest international airport is at Tiruchirapalli, which is 91 km (57 mi) from Kumbakonam. The nearest seaport is located at Nagapattinam which is about 50 km (31 mi) away. The town has around 141 km (88 mi) of roads, 544 municipal roads  making up 122.29 km (75.99 mi). There are also around 18.71 km (11.63 mi) of state highways running through Kumbakonam.   Over 87% of the municipal roads are paved.   There are regular government and private bus services to Chennai, Thanjavur, Mannargudi, Tiruchirapalli, Chidambaram, Nagapattinam, Coimbatore, Madurai, Pondicherry, and Tirunelveli. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) operates daily services from Bangalore and mysore to Kumbakonam. On March 1, 1972, the Cholan Roadways Corporation was established by the Government of Tamil Nadu  with its headquarters in Kumbakonam in order to improve transportation facilities in the districts of central Tamil Nadu.  The organisation acquired the fleets of buses earlier owned by private operators – Sri Ramavilas Service, Raman and Raman Limited and Sathi Vilas. On July 1, 1997, the organization was renamed Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, Kumbakonam and presently forms division no. 1 of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation. The corporation runs a reconditioning unit and a tyre re-threading unit in Kumbakonam.  Kumbakonam is connected by rail with most important towns and cities in South India. The Mysore- Mayiladuthurai Express connects Kumbakonam with Mysore and Bangalore. There are regular express trains that connect Kumbakonam with major cities in the state like Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Tiruchirapalli. There are passenger trains that connect Kumbakonam with Thanjavur, Tiruchirapalli, Chidambaram and Mayiladuthurai.

The traditional modes of transportation are bullock carts. It is recorded that as late as the 1950s, landlords and rich farmers travelled mostly by bullock carts with the exception of rare long journeys which they undertook by buses or motor vehicles. Kumbakonam has an efficient local bus transportation system. The mofussil bus stand is located in the south-east of Kumbakonam and is situated just opposite to the Arignar Anna Bus Stand where the long-distance buses are stationed. There are occasional ferries that transport people and goods across the Cauvery. Till the beginning of the 20th century, students of the Government Arts College used to cross the Cauvery on coracle ferries in order to attend college. Since the construction of a bridge in 1944, the practice of transporting men and goods by coracles has greatly diminished.

Electricity supply to Kumbakonam is regulated and distributed by the Kumbakonam circle of Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB). Water supply is provided by the Kumbakonam municipality from Cauvery river and Coleroon river; the distribution is managed through head works located at Valayapettai and Kudithangi, supplying 3,265 kl (863,000 US gal) of water to the town. About 18 t (40,000 lb) of solid waste is collected from the town everyday; 53% domestic wastes and 32% commercial wastes.The collected wastes are dumped in yards outside the town and segregated to produce organic manure. Kumbakonam municipality has partial underground drainage connectivity and the municipality is implementing the underground drainage to the uncovered areas. The major sewerage system for disposal of sullage is through septic tanks and public conveniences.  Roadside drains carry untreated sewage out of the town to let out raw into the sea or accumulates in low lying area.

Kumbakonam comes under the Cauvery River Delta Area (CRDA) of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), India's state-owned telecom and internet services provider. Apart from telecom, BSNL also provides broadband internet service.  There are two government hospitals, 34 private hospitals & clinics and numerous medical shops catering to the healthcare need of the town.

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THANJAVUR The Great Architecture of the sand temple

    

Thanjavur, formerly Tanjore, is a city in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Great Living Chola Temples, which are UNESCO World Heritage Monuments, are located in and around Thanjavur. The foremost among these, the Brihadeeswara Temple, is located in the centre of the city. Thanjavur is also home to Tanjore painting, a painting style unique to the region.

Thanjavur is the headquarters of the Thanjavur District. The city is an important agricultural centre located in the Cauvery Deltaand is known as the "Rice bowl of Tamil Nadu". Thanjavur is administered by a municipal corporation covering an area of 36.33 km² (14.03 sq mi) and had a population of 222,943 in 2011. Roadways are the major means of transportation, while the city also has rail connectivity. The nearest airport is Tiruchirapalli International Airport, located 59.7 km (37.1 mi) away from the city. The nearest seaport is Karaikal Port, which is 94 km (58 mi) away from Thanjavur.

Scholars believe the name Thanjavur is derived from Tanjan, a legendary demon in Hindu mythology. While the early history of Thanjavur remains unclear, the city first rose to prominence during the reign of Medieval Cholas when it served as the capital of the empire. After the fall of Cholas, the city was ruled by various dynasties like Pandyas, Vijayanagar Empire, Madurai Nayaks,Thanjavur Nayaks, Thanjavur Marathas and the British Empire. It has been a part of independent India since 1947.

HIstory:

According to local legend, the word Thanjavur is derived from "Tanjan", an asura (giant) inHindu mythology who was killed in what is now Thanjavur by the Hindu god Neelamegha Perumal, a form of Vishnu.

There are no references to Thanjavur in any of the Sangam period (third century BC to fourth century AD) Tamil records, though some scholars believe that the city has existed since that time. Kovil Venni, situated 15 miles (24 km) to the east of the city, was the site of the Battle of Venni between the Chola king Karikala and a confederacy of the Cheras and the Pandyas.The Cholas seemed to have faced an invasion of the Kalabhras in the third century AD after which the kingdom faded into obscurity. The region around present day Thanjavur was conquered by the Mutharayars during sixth century, who ruled it up to 849.

The Cholas came to prominence once more through the rise of the Medieval Chola monarchVijayalaya (841–878) in about 850. Vijayalaya conquered Thanjavur from the Mutharayar king Elango Mutharayar and built a temple dedicated to Hindu goddess Nisumbhasudani. His son Aditya I (871–901) consolidated the hold over the city. The Rashtrakuta king Krishna II (878–914), a contemporary of the Chola king Parantaka I (907–950), claims to have conquered Thanjavur, but there are no records to support the claim.Gradually, Thanjavur became the most important city in the Chola Empire and remained its capital till the emergence ofGangaikonda Cholapuram in about 1025. During the first decade of the eleventh century, the Chola king Raja Raja Chola I(985–1014) constructed the Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur. The temple is considered to be one of the best specimens of South Indian temple architecture.

When the Chola Empire began to decline in the 13th century, the Pandyas from the south invaded and captured Thanjavur twice, first during 1218–19 and then during 1230. During the second invasion, the Chola king Rajaraja III (1216–56) was set in exile and he sought the help of the Hoysala king Vira Narasimha II (1220–35) to regain Thanjavur. Thanjavur was eventually annexed along with the rest of the Chola kingdom by the Pandya king Maravarman Kulasekara Pandyan I (1268–1308) in 1279 and the Chola kings were forced to accept the suzerainty of the Pandyas. The Pandyas ruled Thanjavur from 1279 to 1311 when their kingdom was raided and annexed by the forces of Malik Kafur (1296–1306) and Delhi Sultanate.  The Sultanate extended its authority directly over the conquered regions from 1311 to 1335 and then through the semi-independent Ma'bar Sultanate from 1335 to 1378. Starting from the 1350s, the Ma'bar Sultanate was steadily absorbed into the rising Vijayanagar Empire.

Thanjavur is believed to have been conquered by Kampanna Udayar during his invasion of Srirangam between 1365 and 1371. Deva Raya's inscription dated 1443, Thirumala's inscription dated 1455 and Achuta Deva's land grants dated 1532 and 1539 attest Vijayanagar's dominance over Thanjavur. Sevappa Nayak (1532–80), the Vijayanagar viceroy of Arcot, established himself as an independent monarch in 1532 (1549, according to some sources) and founded the Thanjavur Nayak kingdom. Achuthappa Nayak (1560–1614),Raghunatha Nayak (1600–34) and Vijaya Raghava Nayak (1634–73) are some of the important rulers of the Nayak dynasty who ruled Thanjavur. Thanjavur Nayaks were notable for their patronage of literature and arts. The rule of the dynasty came to an end when Thanjavur fell to the Madurai Nayak king Chokkanatha Nayak (1662–82) in 1673.^[11] Vijaya Raghunatha Nayak, the son of Chokkanatha, was killed in a battle and Chokkanatha's brother Alagiri Nayak (1673–75) was crowned as the ruler of the empire.

Thanjavur was successfully conquered in 1674 by Ekoji I (1675–84), the Maratha feudatory of the Nawab of Bijapur and half-brother of Shivaji (1627/30-80) of the Bhonsle dynasty. Ekoji founded the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom which ruled Thanjavur till 1855. The Marathas exercised their sovereignty over Thanjavur throughout the last quarter of the 17th and the whole of the 18th century. The Maratha rulers patronized Carnatic music. In 1787, Amar Singh, the regent of Thanjavur, deposed the minor Raja, his nephew Serfoji II (1787–93) and captured the throne. Serfoji II was restored in 1799 with the assistance of the British, who induced him to relinquish the administration of the kingdom and left him in charge of Thanjavur fort and surrounding areas. The kingdom was eventually absorbed into British India in 1855 by the Doctrine of Lapse when Shivaji II (1832–55), the last Thanjavur Maratha ruler, died without a legitimate male heir. The British referred to the city as Tanjore in their records. Five years after its annexation, the British replaced Negapatam (modern-day Nagapattinam) with Thanjavur as the seat of the district administration. Under the British, Thanjavur emerged as an important regional centre. The 1871 India census recorded a population of 52,171, making Thanjavur the third largest city in the Madras Presidency. After India's independence, Thanjavur continued as the district 

Geography And Climate

Thanjavur is located at 10.8°N 79.15°E The tributaries of river Cauvery, namely, the Grand Anaicut canal (Pudhaaru), Vadavaaru and Vennaaru rivers flow through the city. Thanjavur is situated in the Cauvery delta, at a distance of 314 km (195 mi) south-west of Chennai and 56 km (35 mi) east of Tiruchirappalli. While the plains immediately adjoining the Cauvery river have been under cultivation from time immemorial, most of Thanjavur city and the surrounding areas lie in the "New Delta" – a dry, barren upland tract which has been brought under irrigation during the early 19th century.To the south of Thanjavur city, is the Vallam tableland, a small plateau insterspersed at regular intervals by ridges of sandstone.The nearest seaport is Nagapattinam which is 84 km (52 mi) east of Thanjavur. The nearest airport is Tiruchirapalli International Airport, located at a distance of 56 km (35 mi). The city has an elevation of 57 m (187 ft) above mean sea level. The total area of the city is 36.33 km² (14.03 sq mi).

The period from November to February in Thanjavur is pleasant, with a climate full of warm days and cool nights. The onset of summer is from March, with the mercury reaching its peak by the end of May and June.The average temperatures range from 81 °F (27 °C) in January to 97 °F (36 °C) in May and June. Summer rains are sparse and the first monsoon, the South-West monsoon, sets in June and continues till September. North-East monsoon sets in October and continues till January. The rainfall during South-West monsoon period is much lower than that of North-East monsoon. North-East monsoon is beneficial to the district at large because of the heavy rainfall and the Western ghats feeding the river Cauvery. The average rainfall is 37 inches (940 mm), most of which is contributed by the North-East monsoon.

Thanjavur is an important pilgrim centre and a major tourist destination of Tamil Nadu. South Zone Culture Centre in Thanjavur is one of the regional cultural centres established by the Government of India to preserve and promote cultural heritage of India.There were 2,002,225 Indian and 81,435 foreign tourist arrivals in 2009 to Thanjavur.The most visited monument in Thanjavur is theBrihadeeswarar Temple, whose construction, the historian Percy Brown described as "a landmark in the evolution of building art in South India".Built in the 11th century by the Chola king Raja Raja Chola I (985–1014), the temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.The walls of the sanctum are covered with wall paintings from the Chola and Nayak periods.The temple was designated anUNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. It is replicated in the Gangaikonda Cholesvarar Temple constructed by Raja Raja's son Rajendra Chola I (1012–44)

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The Thanjavur Maratha palace was the official residence of the Bhonsle family who ruled over the Thanjavur region from 1674 to 1855. It was originally constructed by the rulers of Thanjavur Nayak kingdom and after their fall, it served as the official residence of the Thanjavur Marathas. When most of the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom was annexed by the British Empire in 1799, the Thanjavur Marathas continued to hold sway over the palace and the surrounding fort. The southern side of the third quadrangle of the palace has 190 ft (58 m) tower like building, called the Goodagopuram.

Bharathanatyam, the South Indian dance form in display in Brihadeeswarar Temple

The Saraswathi Mahal Library, established around 1700 and located in the premises of the palace, contains over 30,000 Indian and European manuscripts written on palm leaf and paper. Over eighty per cent of its manuscripts are in Sanskrit and many of them are on palm leaves. The Tamil works include treatise on medicine, and commentaries on Sangam literature.The Rajaraja Chola art gallery is located inside the palace – it has a large collection of stone and bronze images from the ninth to 12th centuries. Most of the idols present in the gallery were collected from various temples in the Thanjavur district.The Sivaganga Park is situated to the east of the Brihadeeswarar Temple and encompasses the Sivaganga Tank believed to have been built by the king Raja Raja Chola. It was created as a people's park by the Tanjore municipality in 1871–72. It has a collection of plants, animals and birds and serves as a zoo for children within the city.

Figure depicting a Tanjore painting

Schwartz Church, a historic monument located in the palace garden, was built in 1779 by Serfoji II as a token of affection for Rev. C.V. Schwartz of the Danish Mission.There are five museums in the city namely Archeological Museum, Tamil University Museum located with the Tamil University premises, the Saraswathi Mahal Library Museum located inside the Saraswathi Mahal, Nayak Durbar Hall Art Museum and Rajaraja Chola Museum.Raja Rajan Manimandapam is one of the tourist attractions in Thanjavur, built during the Thanjavur Tamil Conference in 1991. "Sangeetha Mahal" has a permanent handicrafts exhibition centre. Thanjavur is the cradle for many of the arts and crafts in South India. Carnatic music was codified in Thanjavur and the art flourished during the Nayak rule in the 16th century.Bharathanatyam, a classical dance form of South India, had its major styles developed in Thanjavur.

Sathaya Thiruvizha is the annual birthday festival of Raja Raja Chola held during October every year. Thanjavur is the base for the Tyagaraja Aradhana, a Carnatic musicfestival held annually during January – February at Thiruvaiyaru, located 13 km (8.1 mi) away from the city.Thanjavur painting is a major form of classical South Indianpainting from Thanjavur. It dates back to about 1600s, the period of Nayakas of Thanjavur, who encouraged art, classical dance, music literature, both in Telugu and Tamil. The art is usually a combination of raised and painted surfaces, with the Hindu god Krishna being the most popular image depicted. In modern times, these paintings have become souvenirs of festive occasions in South India, wall decors, and collectors' items for art lovers.

Economy :

The major occupation of the inhabitants of the city is tourism and service-oriented industry, while the traditional occupation is agriculture.

Thanjavur is known as the "Rice bowl of Tamil Nadu". Paddy is the crops and the other crops grown are blackgram, banana, coconut,gingelly, ragi, red gram, green gram, sugarcane and maize. The total percentage of land fit for cultivation is 58%. There are three seasons for agriculture in Thanjavur – Kuruvai (June to September), Samba (August to January) and Thaladi (September, October to February, March). The total rice production has been maintained at 10.615 L.M.T and 7.077 L.M.T. The city acts as a focal point for food grains transported from the adjoining areas of the Cauvery Delta. Organic farming is gradually being known to the farmers of Thanjavur. To maximise agricultural produce organic farming is being implemented. Though agriculture is the main economic activity, only 7% of the population is involved in it. There is a lot of agricultural related trading that forms the key economic activity in the city

Thanjavur is an important centre of silk weaving in Tamil Nadu. There were 200 silk weaving units in the city in 1991 with around 80,000 people working in them.The sarees produced in the villages surrounding Thanjavur are sold in Thanjavur and neighbouring towns. Increasing production costs and competition from large-scale producers have reduced the number of people involved in the production. The city produces bell metal craft like Thanjavur metal plates, bronze images bowls, napkins and powder boxes made of copper and bronze. The city is a major manufacturer of pith works consisting of models of Hindu idols, mosques, garlands and other bird figurines. Manufacture of musical instruments like veena, tambura, violin, mrithamgam, thavil and kanjira is another economic activity in the city.

All major nationalised banks such as State Bank of India, Indian Bank, Central Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Indian Overseas Bank and private banks like ICICI Bank, City Union Bank have their branches in Thanjavur. All these banks have their automated teller machines located in various parts of the city.

According to 2011 census, Thanjavur had a population of 222,943 with a sex-ratio of 1,042 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 19,860 were under the age of six, constituting 10,237 males and 9,623 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 9.22% and .21% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the city was 83.14%, compared to the national average of 72.99%.There were a total of 78,005 workers, comprising 803 cultivators, 2,331 main agricultural labourers, 2,746 in house hold industries, 65,211 other workers, 6,914 marginal workers, 110 marginal cultivators, 235 marginal agricultural labourers, 322 marginal workers in household industries and 6,247 other marginal workers.

As of 2008, a total 2,013.34 ha (4,975.1 acres) (55.4%) of the land was used for residential, 11.32 ha (28.0 acres) (3.06%) for commercial, 82.68 ha (204.3 acres) (2.28%) for industrial, 320.2 ha (791 acres) (8.81%) for public & semi public, 108.11 ha (267.1 acres) (2.98%) for educational and 996.85 ha (2,463.3 acres) (27.47%) for agriculture.Tamil is the widely spoken language, with the standard dialect being Central Tamil dialect. Telugu, Thanjavur Marathi and Saurashtra are other languages spoken in the city. Thanjavur is the cultural and political center of the Thanjavur Marathi people. 

Transport 

The National Highways 67, 45C, 226 and 226 Extn pass through Thanjavur. The city is connected with Chennai, Coimbatore, Tirupur,Vellore, Erode, Cuddalore, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, Kumbakonam, Karaikal, Mannargudi, Pattukkottai, Dindigul, Pudukkottai, Tirunelveli,Bangalore, Karaikal, Ernakulam, Nagercoil, Tirupathi, Thiruvananthapuram and Ooty through regular bus services. Thanjavur had a single bus terminus located at the heart of the city.An integrated bus terminus, called New Bus stand was constructed in 1997 near Raja Serfoji College to handle the passenger traffic. Thanjavur has a well-maintained sub-urban public transport system. Government and private buses operate frequently between the two bus termini and other towns and villages like Vallam, Budalur, Mohamed Bunder,Nadukkavery, Pillaiyarpatti, Vallam Pudursethi, Sengipatti, Vadakkur North and Kuruvadipatti.

The railway line connecting Tiruchirapalli to Chennai via Thanjavur, the Main Line, is a historical line established by South Indian Railway Company in 1879. The Great South Indian Railway Company (GSIR) operated a broad gauge rail service between Nagapattinam and Tiruchirapalli via Thanjavur between 1861 and 1875. During 1875 it was converted to a meter gauge line (MG line).Modern day Thanjavur railway junction has three rail heads leading to Tiruchirapalli, Kumbakonam and Thiruvarur. Thanjavur is connected by rail with most important cities and towns in India. There are daily express trains to Chennai, Mysore, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Coimbatore, Erode, Tiruppur, Tiruchirapalli, Salem, Karur, Madurai, Tirunelveli,Rameswaram, Tiruchendur, Cuddalore, Dharmapuri and weekly trains to Tirupati, Visakhapatnam, Goa, Vijayawada, Nagpur, Jabalpur, Allahabad, Varanasi and Bhubaneswar. There are frequent passenger trains from the city to towns like Thiruvarur, Nagore, Karaikal, Tiruchirapalli, Kumbakonam, Mayiladuthurai and Nagore.

In the early 1990s, Thanjavur was connected with Chennai via the Vayudoot flight service, which was stopped due to poor patronage. A full-fledged air force station is operational at Thanjavur. Thanjavur Air Force Station was to become a major air base by 2012, to handle Fighter, Transport aircraft and also refuelling aircraft However, the establishment and activation of air base has been delayed as of March 2013.The IAF will base a squadron of its Sukhoi Su-30 Supermaneuverability Fighter aircraft at Thanjavur, making it the first fighter squadron in Tamil Nadu.The nearest airport is Tiruchirapalli International Airport. The nearest Seaport is located at Nagapattinam.