THANJAVUR2

BRIHADEESWARAR TEMPLE
At a distance of 2 km from Thanjavur Junction Railway Station & 5 km from New Bus Station, the Brihadeeswarar Temple, also known as Peruvudaiyar Kovil or Periya Kovil is a brilliant example of the major heights achieved by Cholas in temple architecture.
It was built in the year 1010 AD by the mighty Chola Emperor Raja Raja Chola I. It remains as one of the greatest glories of Indian architecture and also one of the best places to visit in Thanjavur.
The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as 'Great Living Chola Temples'.
Also known as The Big Temple, Brihadeeswarar temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is famous for its grandeur and beautiful sculptures.
The temple consists of an entrance tower followed by the main temple complex spread on a plot of 33,000 sq. ft. The inner part of the temple starts with a large Nandi mandapa which is a 12 foot tall monolithic idol with intricately carved Nandi Mandapa.
The main shrine of Brihadeeswarar boasts an amazing structure with a large mandapa followed by an antarala and the sanctum.
The 13-tier tower over the sanctum is the prime attraction of the temple which is 216 feet in height built in Dravidian style. The vimana boasts a massive which weighs 80 ton.
It is said that a 2 km long ramp was built to carry the Sikhara and place it on the peak. The shadow of Sikhara never falls on the ground.

THANJAVUR PALACE
At a distance of 2 km from Thanjavur Railway Station, 1.5 km from Brihadeeswarar Temple & 0.5 km from Old Bus Station,
Thanjavur Palace, also known as Maratha Palace or Nayak Palace is a wonderful historical structure in the town of Thanjavur. It was the official residence of the Maratha rulers from 1674 to 1855.
It was constructed partly by Thanjavur Nayaks around 1550 CE, and expanded by the Marathas. The palace is noted for its huge halls, spacious corridors, observation and arsenal towers, and a shady courtyard.
The Palace is a must visit place in Thanjavur to understand the history and lifestyle of its rulers.

VELANKANNI
At a distance of 1 km from Velankanni Railway Station, 31 km from Karaikal, 93 km from Thanjavur, 11 km from Nagapattinam, 161 km from Pondicherry and 313 km from Chennai,
The Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health is located in Velankanni town of Tamil Nadu. The Roman Catholic Latin Rite Basilica is devoted to Our Lady of Good Health. Situated on the coast of Bay of Bengal,
this is one of the most popular Christian pilgrimage sites in South India.
The Shrine of Our Lady of Velankanni is one of the most frequented religious sites in India. It can be traced back to mid-16th century and is attributed to three miracles at different sites around where the Basilica currently stands.
The appearance of Mary and Christ Child to a shepherd boy, the curing of a buttermilk vendor and the rescue of Portuguese sailors from a violent sea storm are the miracles associated with this shrine.

THIRUVAIYARU
At a distance of 13 kms from Thanjavur & 312 Kms from Chennai, Thiruvaiyaru in Thanjavur district is situated on the banks of the river Kaveri. Thiruvaaiyaru has an old Shiva temple dedicated to Panchanatheeswar.
However, it's more famous for association with Thyagaraja, the Saint Composer,
The Panchanatheesvarar Temple dedicated to Shiva sprawls over a 14-acre campus and is both grand and serene. Beyond the temple are lush paddy fields and groves. The temple is about 1 Km from Thiruvaiyaru town centre.
Timings - 6 AM to 12 PM and 4-9 PM.
Thyagaraja is a composer of Carnatic music, who along with his contemporaries Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri forms the Trinity of Carnatic.
He composed hundreds of devotional songs, most of them in praise of the Hindu god Rama in Telugu language.
Near the Shiva temple is the one-roomed house where Tyagaraja composed some of his greatest works. On the banks of river is the samadhi of the saint where music festival takes place annually.

NAGORE
At a distance of 14 km from Karaikal, 85 Kms from Thanjavur, 9 Kms from Nagapattinam & 291 Kms from Chennai, Nagore is famous for a Muslim dargah dedicated to the 16th century saint Meeran Sahib.
The Nagore Dargah shrines are situated at three locations, Nagore, Vanjur and Silladi. The main campus is at Nagore, spread over an area of about five acres, which is enclosed by compound wall, with four impressive entrances,
one each on the north, south, east and west. In front of the western gate, just outside the compound, is a large tower, 131 feet tall, called 'Periya Minara'.
Nagore Dargah literature discloses that Tanjore King Pratap Singh built -Periya Minara- around 1760 AD, about 200 years after the death of Meeran Sahib. He is said to have built it in appreciation of having received the grace of Meeran Sahib.