Thanjavur
| Thanjavur / தஞ்சாவூர் | |
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| Coordinates | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| District(s) | Thanjavur |
| Municipal Chairperson | Thenmozhi Jayabalan[1] |
| Population • Density |
215,725 (2001[update]) • 7,700 /km2 (19,943 /sq mi) |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Area |
36 square kilometres (14 sq mi) • 2 metres (6.6 ft) |
| Website | municipality.tn.gov.in/thanjavur/ |
Thanjavur (Tamil: தஞ்சாவூர் (tañcāvūr)), also known as Thanjai (Tamil: தஞ்சை (tañcāi)) or by its anglicised name Tanjore, is a municipality and the headquarters of the Thanjavur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It has a population of a 221,190 (2001 census).
The name Thanjavur is derived from "Tanjan", a legendary asura in Hindu mythology. Thanjavur is one of the oldest cities in India and has a long and varied history dating back to Sangam period. The city rose into 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 the Pandyas, Vijayanagar Empire, the Madurai Nayaks, the Thanjavur Nayaks, the Thanjavur Marathas and the British. It has been a part of independent India since 1947.
Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian art and architecture. Most of the Great Living Chola Temples, an UNESCO World Heritage Monument are located in an around Thanjavur. The foremost among the Great Living Chola temples, the Brihadeeswara Temple, is located in the center of the town. Thanjavur is also the home of the Tanjore painting, a painting style unique to the region. The town is an important agricultural center located at the heart of the region, known as the "rice bowl of Tamil Nadu". South Zone Culture Centre in Thanjavur is one of many regional cultural centres established by Indian Government to preserve and promote traditional cultural heritage of India.
Thanjavur is well-connected by roads and railways with other parts of India and with cities and towns in Tamil Nadu. The nearest airport is Tiruchirapalli located at a distance of 56 kilometres and the nearest seaport in Nagapattinam which is 84 kilometres from Thanjavur.
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Etymology
The name Thanjavur is believed to have been derived from Tanjan,[2] an asura in Hindu mythology, who is believed to have to have been killed at this spot by the Hindu god Vishnu.[3] 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 had came from the word seeking asylum(Thanjam) as the chola king karikalan has to shift the capital as sea undated their capital city poompuhar.
History
The Thanjavur area has a rich historical heritage and is a prism of ancient as well as the modern south Indian civilizations. The city was once the stronghold of the historic Cholas and at one time was also the capital of the Cholas, Mutharayars and Marathas when they were at the peak of their power. Since then, Thanjavur has been one of the chief political, cultural and religious centres of South India.
Thanjavur contains over 90 temples, as it was favored by the Chola rulers between the 1st - 12th centuries, the Nayakas in the 16th century, and the Marathas in the 17th and 18th centuries.[4]
Under the Cholas
Thanjavur, or Tanjapuri as it was called in the ancient times was chosen by the Mutharayar king and later conquered by Vijayalaya Chola. Vijayalaya built a temple for his favourite goddess Nisumbhasudani in the city. Although subsequent emperors made Kanchipuram a subsidiary capital, Thanjavur maintained its position as the chief city. The great Brihadeeswara Temple, built by Rajaraja Chola I was completed around 1010 AD. It remained the centre of the Chola administration for many years, channelling the state revenue into a number of civic projects. It also acted as a repository of the empire's records, as the great Rajaraja had its walls covered with numerous inscriptions recording his conquests and his endowments to various charities. The impression we get from the inscriptions is of a wealthy, progressive city, although totally dominated by the temple.
The inscriptions tell us about a number of royal palaces in the city and of the districts where palace servants lived. We also learn the names of a number of streets: the big street of Virasola and the big market of Tribhuvanamadeviyar. During the reign of Rajaraja we learn that the city was divided into two parts: Ullalai (inner) and Purambadi (outer) city. Purambadi could have been an extension to the city built during Rajaraja's reign. Among the new streets built by Rajaraja were two running east to west in front of the Brihadeeswara Temple and called Northern and Southern Talichcheries. People who worked in the temple occupied these streets. There were other temples then, such as the Jayabhima temple and Tanjai Mamani found in the inscriptions, which do not exist anymore. There was also a public hospital attached to a Vishnu temple named after Sundara Chola called Sundarachola Vinnagara Salai which was endowed by Kundavai, the sister of Rajaraja Chola.
The influence of Thanjavur began to diminish when Rajendra Chola I built a new city named Gangaikonda Cholapuram and moved his capital there.
Under the Nayaks and Marathas
After the Cholas the Pandyas conquered the Chola country. Madurai was the Pandya capital and Thanjavur remained in the background, as a province of Vijayanagara empire.
Later in 1535,the Vijayanagara king installed a Nayak king hence the era of Tanjore Nayaks which lasted till mid-17th century, until attacked by the Madurai Nayaks. 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 with a view to the restoration of a deposed raja 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, on whose death in 1855 without an heir the house became extinct.
Geography and climate
Thanjavur is located at [5] approximately in the centre of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The town is located in the centre of the Cauvery delta, about 320 kilomtres from the state capital Chennai and 56 kilometres from Tiruchirapalli. Some of the nearby towns are Kumbakonam (40 km), Pattukkottai (45 km), Mannargudi (37 km), Pudukkottai (55 km), Tiruvarur (58 km), peravurani (80) and Nagappattinam (84 km) The municipality has an area of about 36 km2. The township and its exterior suburbs extend for an area of about 100 km2. The town has an elevation of 57 metres above mean sea level. It is drained by the rivers Vadavar and Vennar in the north.
| Summer | Winter | |
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| Max. | 40 °C (104 °F) | 38 °C (100 °F) |
| Min. | 22 °C (72 °F) | 19 °C (66 °F) |
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Thirukattupalli | Ariyalur | Kumbakonam | |
| Tiruchirapalli |  |
Tiruvarur | ||
 Thanjavur  |
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| Pudukkottai | karambakkudi | Pattukkottai |
Places of interest
Thanjavur is famous for the Brahadishwara Temple (or Brahadeeswara temple) built by Rajaraja Chola during the 11th century.[6] The Brahadishwara Temple, also known as the Big Temple, is one of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The temple is enclosed in two courts, surmounted by a lofty tower and including the exquisitely decorated shrine of Murugan. Among the other historic buildings is the Vijayanagara fort, which contains a palace that was expanded by the Maratha king Serfoji II with an armoury, a Bell Tower and the Saraswathi Mahal Library, which contains over 30,000 Indian and European manuscripts written on palm leaf and paper. Also built by Serfoji II is the Manora Fort, a monumental tower, situated about 65 km away from Thanjavur. The then "Sangeetha Mahal" has been converted to a handicrafts exhibition centre now which has handicrafts from local artisans. Raja Rajan Manimandapam which is also one among the tourist places in Thanjavur, Thanjavur is in the second place next only to Chennai in attracting more tourists.
Arts and culture
Thanjavur is one of the chief political, literary and religious centres of southern India, known for its contribution to Carnatic music, it has produced many classical musicians and Bharathanatyam dancers. It has become the second most important site for the annual Natyanjali dance festival.
Tiruvaiyaru, which is close to Thanjavur, is the place where the great musician Saint Tyagaraja lived. Here in Tiruvaiyaru every year in the Tamil month of 'Thai' (second half of January) Thyagaraja Aradhana will be held where musicians from all over the country will participate.
Tanjore is well known for bronze sculptures and its unique painting style called Tanjore Painting, a percussion instrument called the Thavil, a divine classical string instrument Veenai and the Bobblehead Thanjavur Dolls.
The Tanjore paintings are very popular and are known around the world. The artists use a combination of canvas background with glass, metals, etc. to depict and decorate various scenes from Hindu mythology.
Tanjore plates which are made of a brass plate containing an image of God at the center made with silver plates of minimum thickness adds to Thanjavur's glory.
Sacred Heart Cathedral in the city is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tanjore.
The South Zone Cultural Centre
A South Zone Cultural Center (SZCC), corresponding to the North, West and North-East zone cultural centres, was moved to Thanjavur after functioning initially from the town of Tiruvaiyaru. It is the only one of its kind in South India and is dedicated to the promotion of fine arts, dance, drama, music, theater and other arts by providing opportunities for the artists, documenting dying art forms and ensuring the participation of the youth in cultural activities. It organizes special programs and collaborative programs with the Lalit Kala Akademi, Sangeet Natak Academi, Sahitya Akademi and National School of Drama.
Economy
Thanjavur's economy is mainly agro-based. The town acts as a focal point for food grains transported from the adjoining areas of the Cauvery Delta. The town also has some medium and small-scale enterprises. Tourism constitutes a major portion of the town's revenue. Prominent supermarket chains such as Food World, Nilgiris, Spencers, More and Subhiksha have their branches in Thanjavur. There are also a big supermarket chains like Oriental Towers , Punniyamoorthi Pillai Departmental Store. There are many Textile showrooms in Thanjavur and also some Branded Outlets such as Basics, John players, Jansons and Megamart
Agriculture
Agriculture in Thanjavur is the main source of livelihood for most of the people of Thanjavur. Cultivation has been the major occupation of the local inhabitants of Thanjavur since the land is ideally suited for growing crops like Rice.
Thanjavur is a dealtaic region where rice is the major food crop that is grown in the fields. Rice production has increased in the recent years and thus it is being largely exported to the neighboring states, which is further boosting up the economy of Thanjavur. The total rice production has been maintained at 10.615 L.M.T and 7.077 L.M.T.
Major Crops
Major crops of Thanjavur other than Paddy are Blackgram, Banana, Coconut, Gingelly, Ragi, Red gram, Green gram, Sugarcane, Maize.
Demographics
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| 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% |
Sources:
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Thanjavur is the eleventh largest city in Tamil Nadu with a population of 221,185 (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, 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 and Thanjavur Marathi are also spoken.
Thanjavur is the cultural and political centre of the Thanjavur Marathi people. Hindus form the majority, but the town has substantial Muslim and Christian minorities.
Thanjavur Municipality was constituted on 09.05.1866 as Third Grade Municipality. It has been upgraded to Second Grade Municipality from 1933 and upgraded to First Grade Municipality from 21.03.43 and upgraded to selection grade municipality from 01.11.63 and upgraded to Special Grade Municipality from 05.03.1983
During the last five decades. i.e. from 1951 to 1991. the Population of Thanjavur town has increased steadily. However the growth rate was marginal between 1951 and 1961 and similar trend occurred between 1981 and 1991 period. The town has marked with 1 lakh population in 1951 and this has crossed 2 Lakhs in 1991 with an average growth rate of 24.82% between 1951 and 1991. The census survey carried out for Thanjavur indicates that the population of this town is 2.16 Lakhs (2001). The limited opportunities in industrial growth is the major reason for slow growth
Transportation
Roadways
Thanjavur is well-connected with Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Kumbakonam, Pattukkottai, Bangalore, Ernakulam, Marthandam, Nagercoil, Tirupathi, Thiruvananthapuram, Ooty and Mysore through regular bus services. Previously, Thanjavur had a single bus terminus located at the heart of the town. However, recently a new bus terminus has been constructed outside the town limits in order to handle the passenger traffic. Thanjavur also has a well-maintained domestic public transport system. Government and private buses operate frequently between Old Bus Stand and New Bus Stand and between Old Bus Stand and outlying towns as Vallam and Budalur and villages as Pillaiyarpatti, Vallam Pudursethi, Sengipatti and Kuruvadipatti. There are also minibus services between Old Bus Stand and Reddipalayam and share auto services along the Thanjavur-Trichy national highway.
List of National Highways passing through Thanjavur:
- NH-67: Nagapattinam - Tiruvarur - Thanjavur - Tiruchirappalli - Karur - Coimbatore - Ooty - Intersection of NH-212 in Karnataka
- NH-45C: Thanjavur - Kumbakonam - Neyveli - Panruti - Vikkravandi NH-45
- NH-226: Thanjavur - Pudukottai - Tirupattur - Sivagangai - Manamadurai
- NH-226 Extn: Thanjavur - Ariyalur - Perambalur NH-45
| Class | Length (km) |
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| National Highways/Expressways | 120.921 |
| State Highways | 365.536 |
| Corporation and Municipal Roads | 490.003 |
| Panchayt Union and Panchayat Road | 5536.11 |
| Town Panchayat Roads | 432.826 |
| Dist.Major & Other Roads | 1745.842 |
| Forest Roads | 1.3 |
| Total (approx) | 8692.538 |
Railways
Thanjavur is an important railway junction of Southern Railways. Thanjavur is connected by rail with most important cities and towns in India. This district has 122.07 Kilometers of Broad gauge railway lines with 20 Railway stations connecting Thanjavur to Major centres in the state. [7]
| Railway | Route Length (km.) | Track Length (km.) |
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| Broad Gauge | 96.52 | 122.07 |
| Meter Gauge | Nil | Nil |
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List of Express Trains from Thanjavur |
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| 6853/6854 Chennai - Tiruchirappalli Chozhan Express (Daily) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6175/6176 Chennai - Nagore Kamban Express (Daily) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coimbatoe - Mayiladuthurai Jan Sathabdhi Express (Daily) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mysore - Mayiladuthurai Express(Daily) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nagore - Ernakulam Express(Daily) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6701/6702 Chennai - Rameshwaram Boat Mail (Daily) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bhubaneshwar - Rameshwaram Express (Tuesday) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6735/6736 Chennai - Tiruchendur Senthur Express (Friday) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2793/2794 Chennai - Madurai Express (Friday and Sunday) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4259/4260 Varanasi - Rameshwaram Express(Weekly) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Madurai - Tirupathi Express (Shortly) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FlightsIn early 1990s, Thanjavur was connected with Chennai via the Vayudoot Flight Service, which was stopped due to poor patronage. Now a full fledged Air Force Station is coming up at Thanjavur to station Fighter (aircraft) and Sukhoi jets and is expected to include civil service for passengers. Nearest Airport is Tiruchirapalli Airport which is about 50 km. Administration
Thanjavur is a Special Grade municipality administered by a municipal corporation. The municipal corporation is headed by a Chairman assisted by a Deputy Chairman. The general administration of the town is headed by a Commissioner. The municipal corporation consists of six departments: general administration, revenue, accounts, engineering, town planning and public health. The legislative powers are held by an elected council of 51 members. EducationThanjavur is renowned for its culture of education. It is home to the famous Saraswati Mahal library which dates back to the end of the 16th century and contains over 30,000 rare manuscripts. It has now been fully computerized.One of the famous school in the city is Don Bosco MMS. St.Antony's Hr sec School. Kalyanasundaram Hr. Sec. school (since 1891) and St. Peter's, founded in the 18th century by Schwartz, are renowned schools in the town. Currently, Thanjavur has four universities, viz., the Tamil University, Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology & Research Academy, Ponnaiyah Ramajayam Institute Of Science & Technology and Periyar Maniammai University and several colleges including the renowned Thanjavur Medical College.There are other Engineering Colleges namely the upcoming Parisutham Institute of Technology & Science (P I T S) & St Joseph's College of Engineeringand Teacher educational colleges like Dr.S.R.J College of Education. There are also many research centres, including the Paddy Processing Research Centre (Now Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology) and Soil and Water Research Centre. People from ThanjavurReferences
External links
See also
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