Thanjavur, or Tanjore, is an ancient historic temple town in the Tamilnadu state of India. Tanjore was the capital of many ancient empires like Chola, Pandya, Vijayanagar, etc.
UNESCO World Heritage Site of The Great Living Chola Temples
Thanjavur is famous for its temples, art, and architecture. The Great Living Chola Temples of Thanjavur consisting of Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur, Temple of Gangaikondacholisvaram, and the nearby 12th-century Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram near Kumbakonam (40 kilometers away), were together declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Thanjavur Paintings
The Temple town of Tanjore is also famous for the Tanjore Painting, a painting unique to this region with its vivid and rich colors on wooden panels. Originated around the 16th century B.C. in the Maratha court of Tanjore. Hindu Gods, Goddesses, and saints are the main subjects of the Tanjore paintings, even though other religious or secular issues are featured rarely in these paintings.
Tanjore is also known as the Rice Bowl of Tamilnadu or Granary of South India, as Tanjore and its surrounding areas are very fertile with the Cauvery delta.
How Do I Go to Thanjavur?
Thanjavur is easily accessible by train and road. Tanjore railway station is located in the city. TJ is the station code for this railway station. Kumbakonam is another nearby railway station with code KMU.
National Highway 67 and National Highway 226 pass through Tanjore. Thiruchiraplli airport is the nearest airport, 55 kilometers away, with flights to nearby cities like Chennai and Bangalore. Chennai International Airport, at around 320 kilometers distance from Tanjore, is the nearest international airport.
Bangalore alias Bengaluru is at 390 kilometers distance. Cochin alias Kochi is 450 kilometers from Tanjore. Coimbatore is 265 kilometers from Tanjore. Erode is around 195 kilometers away from Tanjore town. Ooty Hill station is around 325 kilometers from the temple town of Tanjore.