Thanjavur Maratha Palace is situated at the heart of Thanjavur city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur was the capital city of the Chola Dynasty. It flourished during the 7th century CE. Today, the city has two main forts. One is the Chinna Kottai (Little Fort) and the other is the Periya Kottai (Big Fort).

Thanjavur Maratha Palace is located inside the Big Fort. The State Department of Archaeology safeguards the main monuments of the palace complex, such as Bell Tower, Arsenal Tower, Sadar Madi and Darbar Hall of the Marathas.

History

Thanjavur Maratha Palace was built by rulers of Thanjavur Nayak kingdom in 1550. Known as Aranmanai locally, this Palace is the official residence of the Bhonsle family, who reined Tanjore region from 1674 to 1855.

Architecture

Thanjavur Maratha Palace or Tanjore Palace exhibits a mix of Maratha and Nayak style architecture. It is well known for its museum, which displays artifacts from the ancient era, and Saraswati Mahal Library, which features archaic documents. The Palace charms visitors through its beautiful designs. One of the attractions is that the Palace offers bird’s eye view of the captivating Thanjavur town and of the city’s landmark Brihadeeswara Temple.

The Arsenal Tower, which soars 190 feet high and has 8 storeys, was used to store armories, weapons, and ammunition. It was built during the Maratha rule in 1855 CE. It also served as a watchtower.

At the northwest side of the Arsenal Tower is the Bell Tower, also called “Wide Holed Ear Pavilion.” It is believed that Vijayraghava Nayakkar worshipped from the top of this 7-storeyed tower. This tower was damaged by rain and lightning. Tourists, today, are not allowed to visit this tower due to the damage. The tower is designed in Gingee Nayak style.

The Darbar Hall of the Palace houses portraits of Maratha rulers, which include Serfoji. The Hall features breath-taking arches and interesting octagonal columns. Its walls are decorated with pictures of Indra, Vishnu, Shiva and their consorts. There are also scenes from the Ramayana.

The Art Gallery of the Palace has a marvelous collection of Chola Dynasty artifacts from the 8th and the 9th century. The granite and bronze statues inside the gallery awe tourists through their craftsmanship.

The Saraswati Mahal Library is just next to the Art Gallery. It features a terrific collection of manuscripts, about 44,000 in number, and about 80 per cent written in Sanskrit. The rest are in Indian and European languages. The manuscripts are inscribed on paper and palm leaves. The library also showcases Tamil work, which includes treatises on medicine, plus commentaries on Sangam period works.

Best Time to Visit

Months from October to March are ideal for visiting Thanjavur.

How to Reach

Tourists can easily access Thanjavur from all over India. The nearest airport is Tiruchirapalli at about 58 km away.

Thanks to a good railway network, Thanjavur is directly connected to Madurai, Chennai, Trichy and Nagore.

Thanjavur’s road network is strong too, connecting it with major cities and towns of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.