Who would have ever imagined that a demon would render a town its name? Believe it or not, Thanjavur derives its name from the demon Tanjan, who, while breathing his last, expressed this as his last wish. Also called Tanjore (a rather anglician version of Thanjavur), this is one of the most frequented spots for travelers. And not for nothing! There is a glimpse of an ancient structure in every corner, built lovingly by the Cholas, Nayaks and Marathas. Not just rulers, they were great patrons of art and culture - this explains the presence of over 44,000 palm leaf manuscripts! In fact, at one time, the city was so rich, that elephants carried out the paddy field thrashing activities, as against oxen. Tanjore is grand, and its grandiose becomes even more obvious when you behold the Big Temple before you. This is truly one place where stones tell stories.

Traveling within the city can easily be done in auto-rickshaws and taxis. The State-run buses ply within the city and are a good mode of transportation. Alternatively, you could hire a private vehicle to get around.

Sri Brihadeeswarar Temple: Built by the Chola King, Rajaraja, the Big Temple is an outstanding example of Chola architecture. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, its architecture is unique because of the main tower soaring high and the gopurams are all small in size. Facing the main shrine is a huge monolithic Nandi Bull. Inside the temple, there is a shrine dedicated to Lord Subramanyam which is said to have some of the best carvings in the whole of South India. There is also a shrine dedicated to Lord Ganesha. The walls of the sanctum are covered, with the wall paintings of Chola and Nayak periods, comparable to the famous Ajanta cave frescoes. The sanctum of Goddess Brihan Nayaki is especially beautiful because of the exquisite stone frescoes on the walls. The Murugan shrine was built like a chariot, and depicts intricate stone carving. The Navagrahas inside are depicted as lingams. The total lingams housed within is said to be close to 252. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Sight, there is a small museum, which houses pieces of sculptures. Every month, two Pradosham pujas are held and the Nandi and lingam are bathed in milk. The temple is especially active during the Maha Shiva¬ratri, Navaratri and Rajarajan.
Open from: 3.00 am-noon, 4.00 pm-8.00 pm
Note - Non-Hindus are not allowed within the sanctum

Mariamman Temple: Dedicated to Goddess Mariamman, a manifestation of Shakti, the temple has a seven-tiered gopuram. Believed to have curative and healing powers, devotees visit it to be cured of measles, chicken pox and skin sores. The idol is coated only with punugu, an oily, perfumed, secretion of the civet cat.
Open from: 6.00 am-9.00 pm

The Palace:Located close to the Brihadeeswarar Temple, the Palace that stands now was once extremely magnificent. The palace houses many museums that by themselves are a great tourist attraction. It has an Art Gallery, showcasing costumes, weapons and musical instruments apart from the Rajaraja Chola Museum, which contains a magnificent collection of Chola bronzes and sculptures. Also visit the Saraswati Mahal Library, which houses around 44,000 ancient palm leaf manuscripts, different volumes of various languages, paintings and writing materials.
Open from: Art Gallery - 9.00 am-1.00 pm; Rajaraja Museum - 10.00 am-5.00 pm; Library - 10.00 am-1.00 pm, 1.30 pm-5.30 pm

Schwartz Church: Located within the palace garden, the Schwartz Church was built in 1779 A.D by Rajah Serfoji as a token of affection for the Rev. C.V. Schwartz of the Danish Mission.

Sivagangai Garden: Head out here for an evening walk or relax in many of the garden benches. The park is home to a wide variety of species of birds and rare flowering plants.

Tamil University Museum: Established in 1981, the university is engaged in research and advanced study in Tamil. The Museum within has a rare collection of coins and musical instruments.

Darasuram: Located 34 kms from Tanjore, it is home to the Airateswara Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. Exquisitely built, the temple's vimana is 25 m high and the main mandapam resembles a huge chariot drawn by horses. Adjacent to the main shrine is the temple dedicated to Shiva's consort, Periya Nayaki Amman.

Swamimalai: Literally meaning God's Mountain, this town is located 32 kms from Tanjore. It is one of the six abodes of to Lord Murugan, where he rested during his battle with the demon Soorapadam. The 60 steps leading to the temple indicate the 60 years of the Tamil calendar. Every Thursday, Lord Swaminathan is decorated with a Diamond Vel.

Stick to the basic meal of South Indian, especially the one served on the traditional banan leaf. Try out local specialties like sambar, dry curry, rasam, kootu and thayir (curd) or moru (buttermilk). These are accompanied by a range of pickles like those made with raw mangoes, chillies, lady's finger and berries. Though Hotel Pandiyan Residency has a great multi-cuisine restaurant, ask for their curd rice and Ponni rice. Dining at Hotel Oriental Towers will let you choose from their continental, Indian, mughlai and tandoori cuisines. To savor pure vegetarian delicacies, Marutham is the best. And for a quiet dinner, Kurinji is ideal. The Venkata Lodge serves snack-like items, including halwa, bhajjis and pakoras. Don't forget to get a bite of authentic Chettiand cuisine, famous for it non-veg delicacies. Ideal Beach Resort has a fine dining restaurant that is great for dinner - do try out their daily specialties. For a slightly higher-end meal, Hotel Parisutham's has two distinctive restaurants - one for non-vege and one for vege thalis. Smaller eateries here include Padma Hotel, Vasantha Vihar, Ananda Bhavan, Ganesh Bhavan and Karthik Hotel - all serving vegetarian delicacies. Thanjavur's all-time fav are the roasted cashewnuts coated with pepper and the highly aromatic filter coffee.

Thanjavur is renowned for its shopping options, what with its streets lined with bazaars and shops. From intricate jewelleries to richly carved woodwork, these shops just about sell it all! Check out the hand-woven silk saris with broad borders and unique motifs done in zari work. The city is especially famous for its exquisite Tanjore paintings, fitted with semi precious stones and gold foil. You can choose from simple and traditional ones to richly adorned paintings of various Hindu gods that are immensely popular. For these and more, head out to Poompuhar and the shops on South Keezha Veedhi. You can look out for the Tanjore brass plates, bronze idols, papier-mâché dolls, silk carpets and items made from unhusked paddy. Thanjavur is also known for its veena instrument, available at Therku Veedhi. And of course, don't forget to take back one of Tanjore's most famous items the Thalaiyatti Bommai (head-nodding dolls). These are made mostly of clay and the slightest of wind makes their head go bobbing! Pick these colourfully adorned dolls from shops close to the Punainallur Mariamman Temple.

Pongal is undoubtedly the main festival celebrated across South India to mark the harvesting of crops. Equally important here is the Carnatic Classical Musical Festival celebrated at Thiruvaiyaru about 14 kms from Tanjore. Celebrated in honor of the Carnatic music saint, Thyagaraja, classical musicians and singers arrive here to display their skills. One of the most prominent festivals celebrated here is Natyanjali Dance Festival, which is celebrated in the Chidambaram region. This unique festival is dedicated to Lord Nataraja and traditional and classical dancers perform unique dances for 5-days.

There are a few lodges and resorts, but high-end hotels are almost missing. Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure Hotel Sangam offers much more to the traveler that just a comfortable stay. Its warm and personalized service will definitely make your stay here and enjoyable and memorable one. Standing majestically in Tanjore, the 11 storied Hotel Oriental Towers offers more than a breathtaking view of Tanjore. Pandiyan Residency, located at a strategic position within the city has been catering to tourists for years. The hotel offers a fine dining experience and a host of other facilities at a reasonably affordable price.

This magnificent temple city owes its name to Tanjan, a demon who was the cause of great devastation to the city. He was finally slain by Sri Anandavalli Amman and Sri Neelamegapperumal. His last request before he died was that the city be named after him…