Best Places to Visit in Thanjavur - A Travel Guide

Thanjavur, formerly known as “Tanjore” is a cultural hub with most of the living Chola temples and UNESCO World Heritage sites to date. The city houses world-famous architectural marvels like the Brihadeshwara temple, the Royal Palace, Sangeet Mahal museums as well as Maratha palaces. It is also known for Carnatic music, Bharatnatyam, local cuisines, and temples. Each year in October, the annual birthday festival of King Rajaraja Chola is celebrated and the Brihadeshwara temple hosts this celebration every year.

A 3-Day Itinerary

Thanjavur is an exciting and beautiful city to visit, beyond modern architecture, shopping malls, and bustling city dynamics; its lanes are lined with buildings of historical significance. With over 108 temples in Tanjore, you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to exploration.

Day 1

Starting off with Day 1, the most important place to visit in Thanjavur is the Brihadeeswara temple; it is something sure to leave you in awe!

Brihadeeswara temple is a symbol of power and wealth and a shrine to Hindu god Shiva. At a height of 60 metres, the main shrine is the highest pyramid shrine in south India. This soaring pyramidal shrine, early paintings and extremely heavy doorways showcase the architectural prowess of that era.

After this iconic temple tour, one of the most popular tourist places to visit near Tanjore is the Rajali Birds Park, a haven for several species of birds. Showcasing a vibrant array of colours, sounds and shapes. It is a different experience altogether as the walk-in aviary concept offers an immersive experience – it allows you to stroll through spaces where birds fly freely in a carefully developed environment. This bird park also plays a vital role in educating the public about fostering a sense of appreciation and respect for wildlife.

Nearest Railway station - Thanjavur railway station (1.5 km away)

Thanjavur old bust stand (5.2 km away)

Day 2

Keep Day 2 for exploring more temples. On your tour package to Tanjore, You can start your day with the Gaikonda Cholapuram temple; it is another symbol of excellence of Chola dyanasty. Only a portion of this great temple remains now with only few storeys intact. That being said, the temple excels in bold sculptural attention to detail. This temple has also been declared as a world heritage site as it testifies the brilliance of the Chola architecture.

Post that, you can head to is Chandra Bhagwan Temple which is dedicated to the moon god. The temple is well-renowned and is mostly visited by individuals who believe that they are under the bad effects of the moon as per their horoscope.

It is believed that by offering prayer with utmost faith to the moon god, their ill fate can change for the better.

Day 3

Start Day 3 should begin with an early morning visit to Swami Malai Temple, an importance place to see around Thanjavur. According to Hindu mythology, this temple serves as the centre of Shavaite temples in the region which are dedicated to seven gods.

The Swami Malai temple is one them and it belongs to lord Karthikeya / Subramanya. The temple stands on the ground where lord Murugan is believed to have imparted the essence of Pranava Mantra (OM) and passed the profound knowledge of the universe to his own father Lord Shiva as his Guru. This particular temple is a commemoration of that.

After this, your next stop should be Thanjai mamni Koil temple. It is one of three temples which are together called Divyadesam.

The temple offers a unique opportunity to witness three abodes of the lord in the same place along with other associated gods.  Individuals usually book a tour package to Tanjore and visit this temple for a variety of pious reasons. It is said that Goddess Lakshmi sits on the right side of a furious Vishnu, signifying that goodness cannot survive where there is uncontrolled anger.

With majority of the day utilized, a small layover at Schwartz Church can be a cherry on the cake, however to utilize your day efficiently, it is highly recommended to book a Tanjore tour package to make the best of every day you spend in this historic city.

The Schwartz Church is among the oldest churches in South India and was constructed in the British era; it is among the most popular tourist places near Tanjore. It is primarily seen as a sign of open-mindedness and a secular attitude of rulers towards the religious beliefs of the locals.

The architecture of the church has a French touch; the gates and foreground height are also reminiscent of the French style of construction.

Must-Try Cuisines of Thanjavur

Thanjavur city is known for its Tamil-Brahmin delicacies, drawing from the communities that have lived around the area. Since the region was ruled by the Maratha Dynasty, there is a heavy influence of cooking techniques in the cuisine of this region. Here are our top picks: -

• Chettinadu Cuisine

When roaming around Thanjavur city to see places with astonishing architecture, you’ll easily locate restaurants/food outlets serving authentic Chettinad cuisines. They stand out with the ingenious use of freshly ground Chettinadu masala which has spices like fenugreek, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, and peppercorn. The Chettinadu style cuisine accounts for multiple dishes like Karaikudi Eral Masala, Chicken Chettinad and kuzhi Paniyaram; these dishes are a  must-try for nov-veg lovers. There are vegetarian options as well, like Panniyaram, Koshkkatai, Vendakkai Mandi and Urlai roast.

• Nanjil Nadu

It is a south Indian cuisine that you can easily locate in touristy places around Thanjavur; it’s a rich cultural blend of cooking traditions from Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Similar to other cuisines from Tamil Nadu, Nanjil Nadu cuisine has an authentic flavour that reflects the obsession for coconut and fish.

The main ingredient account for mix of vegetables, pepper, green chilli, ginger and garlic. The dish borrows tradition from the neighbouring state of Kerala as it uses thicker and reddish brown rice and is served piping hot.

• LLai Sappadu (banana leaf meal)

“Llai” means leaf and “sappadu” means meal. Served traditionally served on a freshly cut banana leaf, the meal has rice, curries, sambar, rasam, poriyal (vegetable stir fry), pickles, curd and vadai. It is also known as the South Indian thali and one of the staple Tamil Brahmin full course meals in the region. The traditional practice of serving the meal on the banana leaf is believed to add an unique flavour and aroma to the meal.

The ancient capital of Chola Empire and beating heart of Dravidian culture, Thanjavur houses the most beautiful temples in Tamil Nadu. The city proves to be the perfect destination for art and architecture lovers considering its major attractions. With convenience of accessibility, easy transportation, affordable food options and a range of monuments to explore, Thanjavur must be on your bucketlist!