Thanjavur is 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 Thanjavur. The foremost among the Great Living Chola temples, the
Thanjavur is well-connected by roads and railways with other parts of
Etymology
The name Thanjavur is believed to have been derived from "Tanjan", an asura in Hindu mythology, who is believed to have 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 seeking asylum (Thanjam) as the Chola king Karikalan had to shift the capital as sea inundated their capital city Poompuhar.
History
There are no references to Thanjavur in any of the Sangam period records though some scholars believe that the city has been existing since then. Kovil Venni, situated at a distance of 15 miles to the east of Thanjavur, was the site of the Battle of Venni between Karikala and a confederacy of the Cheras and the Pandyas. The Cholas seemed to have faced an invasion of the Kalabhras in the 3rd century AD after which the kingdom faded into obscurity. The region around the present-day Thanjavur was conquered by the Mutharayars in the 6th century CE and ruled up to 849 AD.
The Chola Empire 850-1279 AD
The Cholas came once more into prominence through the rise of the Medieval Chola monarch Vijayalaya in about 850 AD. Vijayalaya conquered Thanjavur from mutharayar king Elango Mutharayar and built a temple to the Hindu goddess Nisumbhasudani at this place. His son Aditya I consolidated their hold over the city. The Rashtrakuta king Krishna II, 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 AD.
During the first decade of the eleventh century AD, the Chola king Raja Raja Chola I constructed the
When the Chola Empire began to decline in the 13th century AD, the Pandyas from the south invaded and captured Thanjavur twice, the first in 1218-19 and the second in 1230. During the second invasion, the Chola king Rajaraja III was driven out of his kingdom and sought the help of the Hoysala king Narasimha to get it back. Thanjavur was eventually annexed along with the rest of the Chola kingdom by the Pandya king Maravarman Kulasekara Pandyan I in 1279 AD and the Chola kings were forced to accept the suzerainty of the Pandyas. The Pandyas ruled Thanjavur from 1279 AD to 1311 AD when their kingdom was raided and annexed by Malik Kafur and the forces of the Delhi Sultanate.
Medieval Period 1279-1556 AD
From 1311 to 1335, the Sultanate extend its authority directly over the conquered regions and then through the semi-independent Ma'bar Sultanate from 1335 to 1378. During the second half of the fourteenth century AD, the Ma'bar Sultanate was steadily absorbed into the rising Vijayanagar Empire. There exists virtually no record of Thanjavur from this period. Later in 1535, the Vijayanagara king installed a Nayak king hence the era of Tanjore Nayaks which lasted till the mid-17th century, until the city was attacked by the Madurai Nayaks. It later slipped into the hands of Marathas.
Tanjore was conquered by the Marathas in 1674 under Venkoji, the half-brother of Shivaji the Great. His successors ruled as Maharajas of Tanjore. The British first came into contact with Tanjore by their expedition in 1749 intending to the restore a deposed king of Tanjore Nayak lineage. In this they failed, and a subsequent expedition was bought off. The Maratha rajas held Tanjore until 1799.
In October 1799, the district was ceded to the British East India Company in absolute sovereignty by Raja Serfoji II, a pupil of the missionary Schwartz. The Raja retained only the capital and a small tract of surrounding country. He died in 1833 and was succeeded by his son Sivaji, who died in 1855 without an heir.
Geography and climate
Thanjavur is located at 10°48′N 79°09′E / 10.8°N 79.15°E It is situated in the Cauvery delta, at a distance of 314 kilometres (195 mi) south-west of Chennai and 56 kilometres (35 mi) east of Tiruchirappalli. Though most of Thanjavur district is a level plain watered by the Kaveri and tributaries, the taluk of Thanjavur is made up mostly of barren uplands sloping towards the east. To the south of Thanjavur town, is the Vallam tableland, a small plateau insterspersed at regular intervals by ridges of sandstone. The nearest seaport in Nagapattinam which is 84 kilometres (52 mi) east of Thanjavur. The nearest airport is
The urban agglomeration encompasses Vallam to Mariamman Koil (west - east) and Vayalur to the Air Force Station (north-south) for an area of about 100 km2.
The
Places of interest
Thanjavur is famous for the
Arts and culture
Tanjore doll
Tanjore became a major cultural center during the 18th & 19th centuries, under the Maratha rule. Figure depicts a Tanjore painting from this era.
Thanjavur is the cradle for many of the arts and crafts in south
Economy
Thanjavur's economy is mainly agro-based. The city acts as a focal point for food grains transported from the adjoining areas of the Cauvery Delta. The city also has some medium and small-scale enterprises. Tourism constitutes a major portion of the city's revenue.
Agriculture in Thanjavur is the main source of livelihood for most of its people. Agricultural Cultivation has been the major occupation of the local inhabitants of Thanjavur as the land is ideal for growing crops like Rice. The maximum portion of Thanjavur land is used up for cultivation and agriculture. The total percentage of land fit for cultivation is 58%. The city of
Thanjavur is known as the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu. The Major crops other than Paddy are Blackgram, Banana, Coconut, Gingelly, Ragi, Red gram, Green gram, Sugarcane, Maize. Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology (IICPT) is located in Thanjavur on
Demographics
Year Pop. ±%
1871 52,171 —
1881 54,745 +4.9%
1891 54,390 −0.6%
1901 57,870 +6.4%
1911 60,341 +4.3%
1921 59,913 −0.7%
1931 66,889 +11.6%
1941 68,702 +2.7%
1951 100,680 +46.5%
1961 111,099 +10.3%
1971 140,547 +26.5%
1981 184,015 +30.9%
1991 202,013 +9.8%
2001 215,725 +6.8%
2011 290,732 +34.8%
Sources:
• 1871 - 1901: Imperial Gazette of
• 1901 - 2001: "Population growth". Thanjavur municipality website. http://www.municipality.tn.gov.in/thanjavur/sal-pop.htm.
Thanjavur is the 11th largest city in Tamil Nadu with a population of 2,21,185 (est. 2008). Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Thanjavur has an average literacy rate of 80%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 85%, and female literacy is 76%. In Thanjavur, 8.9% of the population is under 6 years of age. Tamil is the most widely spoken language. The standard dialect is the Central Tamil dialect. Telugu, Thanjavur Marathi and Saurashtra are also spoken. The population can easily adopt and accept new economic development. Thanjavur is the cultural and political center of the Thanjavur Marathi people. Hindus form the majority. The town has a substantial population of Muslims and Christians.
Transport in Thanjavur
Thanjavur is well-connected with Chennai,
Thanjavur is an important railway junction in the Southern Railway Zone. Thanjavur is well connected by rail with most important cities and towns in
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 which stations several Fighter (aircraft) including Sukhoi jets. The nearest
Thanjavur has a well-developed transport infrastructure. Thanjavur is well connected by Road, Rail and Air with most cities and towns in
Road
Crowded bus in Thanjavur city
Thanjavur is well-connected with Chennai,
National Highways
• NH-67: Nagapattinam - Tiruvarur - Thanjavur - Tiruchirappalli - Karur -
• NH-45C: Thanjavur - Kumbakonam - Neyveli - Panruti - Vikkravandi NH-45
• NH-226: Thanjavur - Pudukottai - Tirupattur - Sivagangai - Manamadurai
• NH-226 Extn: Thanjavur - Ariyalur - Perambalur NH-45
Bus Stands
Old Bus Stand
There are four bus stands in Thanjavur city. They are,
• Moufusil Bus Stand.
• City Bus Stand (near Anna Statue).
• Town Bus Stand (opp. Jos alukkas jewellery shop).
• SETC Bus Stand (behind city bus stand).
• Vallam Bus Stand.
• Thiruvaiyaru Bus Stand.
• Budalur Bus Stand.
• Thirukkattupalli.
Class Length (km)
National Highways/Expressways 120.921
State Highways 365.536
Corporation and Municipal Roads 490.003
Panchayt Union and
Town Panchayat Roads 432.826
Dist.Major & Other Roads 1745.842
Forest Roads 1.3
Total (approx) 8692.538
Rail
Thanjavur(Code : TJ) is an important railway junction of Southern Railways. Thanjavur is connected by rail with most important cities and towns in
There are railway stations/halts in the city
AIR
Thanjavur Air Force Station
Thanjavur Sivagangai Park
thanjavur palace
