Thanjavur

Thanjavur (Tanjore)
City
Thanjavur Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu Show map of Tamil Nadu Thanjavur Thanjavur (India) Show map of India
Coordinates: 10°47′13.2″N 79°08′16.1″E / 10.787000°N 79.137806°E / 10.787000; 79.137806
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District	Thanjavur
Region	Cauvery Delta
Founded by	Raja Raja Chola - I
Government
• Type	City Municipal Corporation
• Body	Thanjavur Municipal Corporation
• Mayor	Sun.Ramanathan (DMK) since 2022
Area
• Total	36.31 km2 (14.02 sq mi)
Elevation 52	77 m (253 ft)
Population  (2011)
• Total	222,943
• Rank	12th in Tamil Nadu
• Density	6,100/km2 (16,000/sq mi)
Demonym	Thanjavurkaaran
Languages
• Official	Tamil
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	613 0XX
Telephone code	04362
Vehicle registration	TN-49
Website	thanjavurcorporation.org

Thanjavur (Tamil: [t̪aɲdʑaːʋuːɾ]), also known as Thanjai, previously known as Tanjore,^[1] is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the 12th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of southern Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Great Living Chola Temples, which are UNESCO World Heritage Monuments, are located in and around Thanjavur. The foremost among these, the Brihadeeswara Temple, built by the Chola emperor Rajaraja I, is located in the centre of the city. This temple has one of the largest bull statues (called Nandi^[2]) in India carved out of a single granite rock. Thanjavur is also home to Tanjore painting, a painting style unique to the region. Thanjavur is the headquarters of the Thanjavur District. The city is an important agricultural centre located in the Kaveri Delta and is known as the Rice bowl of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is administered by a municipal corporation covering an area of 36.31 km² (14.02 sq mi) and had a population of 222,943.^[3] Roadways are the major means of transportation, while the city also has rail connectivity. The nearest airport is Tiruchirapalli International Airport, located 59.6 km (37.0 mi) away from the city. The nearest seaport is Karaikal, which is 94 km (58 mi) away from Thanjavur. The city first rose to prominence during the reign of the Cholas when it served as the capital of the empire. After the fall of the Cholas, the city was ruled by various dynasties such as the Mutharaiyar dynasty, the Pandyas, the Vijayanagar Empire, the Madurai Nayaks, the Thanjavur Nayaks, the Thanjavur Marathas and the British Empire. It has been a part of independent India since 1947.