HISTORY OF
THANJAVUR TEMPLE
**Thanjavur formerly known as Tanjore is a municipality and the
headquarters of the Thanjavur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
**Thanjavur is situated in the Cauvery delta, at a
distance of around 314 km, south-west of Chennai and 56 km, east of Tiruchirappalli. Most of Thanjavur district is a level plain watered
by the river Kaveri and tributaries. The nearest seaport around the temple
is Nagapattinam which is 84 kilometres (52 mi) east of Thanjavur. The nearest airport is at Tiruchirappalli.
WHO BUILT THE TEMPLE AND WHEN
Thanjavur temple was constructed by Raja Raja Cholan in the years 1003-1010 A.D and the type
of construction is antique. Thanjavur temple area is around 29.24 square.kms.
The Cholas came once more into prominence through the rise of the
chivalric Chola monarch Vijayalaya in about 850 CE. The Vijayalaya made Thanjavur his capital and built a temple to
the Hindu goddess Nisumbhasudani at this place. Vijayalaya, son of Aditya I consolidated their hold over
the city.
The king of Krishna II Rashtrakuta, a contemporary of the Chola king Parantaka I claims to have conquered Thanjavur but there exists no evidence to
support his claim. Gradually Thanjavur became the greatest and most important city in the Chola Empire and remained its capital till
the construction of Gangaikonda Cholapuram in about 1025 CE.
Thanjavur is one of the ancient cities in India and has
a long and varied history dating back to the Sangam period. The city rose to prominence
during the rule of the Later Cholas when it served as the capital of the Chola empire. After the fall of the Cholas,
the city was ruled by various dynasties like Pandyas, Vijayanagar Empire, Madurai Nayaks, Thanjavur Nayaks, Thanjavur Marathas and British. It has been a part of
independent India since 1947.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TEMPLE
Thanjavur is known to be an important center of South
Indian art and architecture. Most of the Great Living Chola Temples which are UNESCO World
Heritage Monuments are located in and around the place of Thanjavur. The foremost among the Great Living Chola temples, the Brihadeeswara Temple is located in the center of the
city. The name of place Thanjavur is knwon to have been derived from the word “Tanjan", an asura in Hindu myth, who is believed to have
been killed at this spot by the Hindu god Vishnu.Also the name is believed to have been derived
from Than-sei-oor, it means the place is surrounded by rivers
and green paddy fields. The name also may have came from the word asylum (Thanjam) as the Chola king Karikalan had to shift the capital as sea
inundated their capital city of Poompuhar.
Thanjavur has as many as 74 temples but the most superb
is the Sri Brihadeswara temple. Thanjavur palace which is a fifteen minute walk
from the temple is also worth visiting.
ACCOMMODATION FACILITIES AT THE TEMPLE
At Thanjavur accommodation is easily available. There are
number of hotels that offer comfort stay for the various travelers to Thanjavur and suit every pocket. Clean and
delicious food is available at reasonable rates.
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