Thanjavur Palace Complex & Art Gallery
Built as the home of the Nayak rulers, the 16th-century Royal Palace has fallen into a state of minor ruin and could be struck from your itinerary but for the impressive Thanjavur Art Gallery (daily 10am-1pm and 2-5pm; admission Rs 20). The gallery, housed in the Nayak hall of the palace, has an eclectic collection of stone and bronze idols, mostly from the Chola period (8th-9th c.), and the sensuous casts of particularly Parvati are certainly worth admiring. Within the palace, you should also climb the narrow and tricky steps of the arsenal tower for views of the complex and the entire city, including Brihadeshvara Temple. Inside 17th-century Durbar Hall, built by the Marathas, who ruled after the Nayaks, is a throne canopy decorated in the distinctive mirror-glass Thanjavur style. Next to the art gallery is Saraswati Mahal Library, which houses a collection of rare books -- including Sanskrit works and 18,623 palm-leaf manuscripts -- assembled by the Maratha ruler Serfoji II, who ruled until 1832 and was a great patron of the arts. A small museum inside the library has a few exhibits worth looking at, including a macabre explicitly illustrated 1804 manuscript entitled "Punishments of China."
Tip: Opposite the entrance to the Palace Complex, on East Main Street, are a couple of worthwhile shopping destinations: Kandiva Heritage (No. 97; tel. 04362/231293) deals in Thanjavore paintings, wooden carvings, and antique and reproduction bronze items, and is well worth a stroll through, but we challenge you to leave empty-handed from Tanjore Collections (No. 105; tel. 04362/234117; www.cottageartsemporium.com), a two-story emporium stuffed with goods from all over India. Bargain hard.
Built as the home of the Nayak rulers, the 16th-century Royal Palace has fallen into a state of minor ruin and could be struck from your itinerary but for the impressive Thanjavur Art Gallery (daily 10am-1pm and 2-5pm; admission Rs 20). The gallery, housed in the Nayak hall of the palace, has an eclectic collection of stone and bronze idols, mostly from the Chola period (8th-9th c.), and the sensuous casts of particularly Parvati are certainly worth admiring. Within the palace, you should also climb the narrow and tricky steps of the arsenal tower for views of the complex and the entire city, including Brihadeshvara Temple. Inside 17th-century Durbar Hall, built by the Marathas, who ruled after the Nayaks, is a throne canopy decorated in the distinctive mirror-glass Thanjavur style. Next to the art gallery is Saraswati Mahal Library, which houses a collection of rare books -- including Sanskrit works and 18,623 palm-leaf manuscripts -- assembled by the Maratha ruler Serfoji II, who ruled until 1832 and was a great patron of the arts. A small museum inside the library has a few exhibits worth looking at, including a macabre explicitly illustrated 1804 manuscript entitled "Punishments of China."
Tip: Opposite the entrance to the Palace Complex, on East Main Street, are a couple of worthwhile shopping destinations: Kandiva Heritage (No. 97; tel. 04362/231293) deals in Thanjavore paintings, wooden carvings, and antique and reproduction bronze items, and is well worth a stroll through, but we challenge you to leave empty-handed from Tanjore Collections (No. 105; tel. 04362/234117; www.cottageartsemporium.com), a two-story emporium stuffed with goods from all over India. Bargain hard.
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