BRIHADEESWARA TEMPLE - This temple, the main attraction of Tanjore was built by Rajaraja Chola and reflects the contribution of the Cholas to the development of arts here. Listed as a World Heritage site, it is characterised by its unique structure. Unlike other South Indian temples, the Brihadeeswara temple has a towering vimana and a small gopuram. It was constructed out of a single piece of granite weighing around 80 tonnes. The statue of Nandi was weighs 25 tonnes and is one of the largest of Nandi bulls in India. The temple is endowed with a spacious ground, a number of pillared halls, shrines and around 250 lingams.

THE PALACE - The Palace of Tanjore also makes for an important tourist destination. It is characterised by its vast corridors, large halls, its shady courtyards and observation towers. It started being built by the Nayaks in the mid-16th century but was completed by the Marathas. The palace now functions as the Royal Museum, housing a collection of royal remains.

ART GALLERY - The Art Gallery is another place that should not be missed while at Tanjore. It has a collection of around 250 Chola bronze statues and 150 stone statues dating back to the 9th and 12th century and belonging to the many groups like the Bhairava, Umasahita Shiva, Kali and Rama Lakshmana.

SARASWATI MAHAL LIBRARY - Built during 1700 AD and located by the art gallery, this library has a huge collection of 30,000 palm leaf and paper manuscripts written in Indian and European languages. It also has some Tamil treatises on medicine and commentaries from the Sangam period. The nearby museum houses some interesting exhibits like the Ramayana written on a palm leaf.



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