Thanjavur – Rice bowl of Tamil Nadu
Situated in the southern most end of the country, Thanjavur is located in the Kaveri delta of the state of Tamil Nadu. Due to its significant paddy production, the place is famously referred to as the “rice bowl of Tamil Nadu”. Thanjavur is known for the agricultural activities and because of its agricultural produce, it is known as the depot of south India. The district is bounded by the green paddy fields, vegetation and coconut trees all around.
It is believed that the name Thanjavur infers its origin from the word “tanjan”, which is the name of an asura in the Hindu mythological stories. There are again those who believe that the name is derived from than-sei-oor, as it means a place surrounded by rivers and paddy fields. Thanjavur is located quite close to the well known town of Tirucirapalli.
The place is one of the oldest cities in India and existed since the times of the Chola Kings. It was being ruled by Nayaks and Maratta kings who integrated the art and culture into the monuments like Grand Anaicut, The Big Temple, The Serfoji Mahal Library etc. The place has a mythological background attached to it making it a divine place. It is popularly known as Mother Cauvery which is clearly evident from ‘Kaviri-Thala-Puranam’.
The river flowing in the district is named as Ponni, because it is believed that it yields “pon” meaning gold in the form of paddy. It is also said that every bit of earth in the place is a piece of gold. This is the reason why it is often said, especially among the natives, that every iota of the earth of Thanjavur is equal to an iota of gold. In Tamil literature the tillers have rightly called as – the sons of the Cauvery as they alone are worthy of this title for the rich production of grains in this fertile soil. In Hindu mythology, the sons of Mother Cauvery are called ‘Kauvirippudhalvars’ as they produce grains in this fertile soil.
Thanjavur is regarded as the major learning centre for culture and education. It is a home to art and architecture and has given birth to one of the most popular classical form of dance called Bharat Natyam. The carnatic form of music also has its origination from Thanjavur along with Tanjore paintings.
The place is rich with culture and music and still holds the essence of olden times holiday packages . The people here speak one of the ancient languages of the country, Tamil. The place is famous among the pilgrims. There are other famous places to visit such as Brihadeshwar temples, Vijaynagara fort. Thanjavur is known for its handicrafts by highly competent craftsmen tour package . Thanjavur is also famous for silk weaving; tourists can buy the typical large border silk sarees here. Another thing that tourists can pick up from Thanjavur are Tanjore paintings, which are in demand all the over the world.
Thanjavur is well connected by air, rail and road. Trichy international airport serves as the closest airport from Thanjavur which is at a distance of 58 km. Trichy rail station is the nearest rail head. Thanjavur is well connected to all major cities of the state by Tamil Nadu road transport corporation buses.
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