Thanjavur – General Information
Thanjavur
District is one of the 32 districts of the state of Tamil
Nadu, in southeastern India. Its headquarters is Thanjavur. As of 2011, Thanjavur district had a population of
2,405,890 with a sex-ratio of 1,035 females for every 1,000 males. Thanjavur is
an important center of South 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 Brihadeeswarar Temple, is located in the center of the city. Thanjavur is
also home to Tanjore
painting, a painting style unique
to the region.
It
consists of nine Taluks- Thiruvidaimarudur, Kumbakonam, Papanasam, Pattukkottai,
Peravurani, Orathanadu, Thanjavur, Thiruvaiyaru and Budalur. Thanjavur district
is called ‘the Rice Bowl of Tamil Nadu’ because of its agricultural activities
in the delta region of river Cauvery. The temples, culture and architecture of Thanjavur
are famous throughout the world. It is an historical place ruled by Cholas,
Pandyas, Nayaks, and Marathas and was under British rule till Independence.
The
population density is 708 persons per sq.km. The district is 35% urbanized and
constitutes literacy rate of 82.72%. Thanjavur is the headquarters of the Thanjavur District. The city is an important agricultural center located
in the Cauvery Delta and is known as
the "Rice bowl of Tamil Nadu". Thanjavur is administered by a municipal
corporation covering an area of
36.33 km2 (14.03 sq. mi) and had a population of 222,943 in
2011. Roadways are the major means of transportation, while the city also has
rail connectivity.
Scholars
believe the name Thanjavur is derived from Tanjan, a legendary demon
in Hindu mythology. While the early history of Thanjavur remains unclear,
the city first rose to prominence during the reign of Medieval
Cholas when it served as
the capital of the empire. After the fall of Cholas, the city was ruled by
various dynasties like Pandyas, Vijayanagar Empire, Madurai
Nayaks, Thanjavur
Nayaks, Thanjavur Marathas and the British
Empire. It has been a part of
independent India since 1947.
History
For
brief details, please refer below link;
Geography
& Climate
Thanjavur
district is in the east coast of Tamilnadu. The district lies between 78° 45’
and 70° 25' of the Eastern longitudes and 9° 50' and 11° 25' of the Northern
Latitudes. Thanjavur is situated in the Cauvery delta, at a distance of 314 km
(195 mi) south-west of Chennai and 56 km (35 mi) east of Tiruchirappalli. The
District is bound by Coleroon on the North which separates it from Ariyalur and
Tiruchirapalli district; Thiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts on the east;
Palk Strait and Pudukottai on the South and Pudukottai and Tiruchirapalli on
the West. The city has an elevation of 57 m (187 ft.) above mean sea level. The
area of the district is 3396.57Sq.Km.
Thanjavur
is located at 10.8°N
79.15°E The tributaries of
river Cauvery, namely, the Grand
Anaicut canal (Pudhaaru),
Vadavaaru and Vennaaru rivers flow through the city. Thanjavur is
situated in the Cauvery delta, at a distance of 314 km (195 mi) south-west
of Chennai and 56 km (35 mi) east of Tiruchirappalli.
While
the plains immediately adjoining the Cauvery river have been under cultivation
from time immemorial, most of Thanjavur city and the surrounding areas lie in
the "New Delta" – a dry, barren upland tract which has been brought
under irrigation during the early 19th century. To the south of Thanjavur
city, is the Vallam
tableland, a small plateau interspersed
at regular intervals by ridges of sandstone.
The
period from November to February in Thanjavur is pleasant, with a climate full
of warm days and cool nights. The onset of summer is from March, with the
mercury reaching its peak by the end of May and June. The average
temperatures range from 81 °F (27 °C) in January to 97 °F
(36 °C) in May and June. Summer rains are sparse and the first monsoon,
the South-West monsoon, sets in June and continues till September. North-East
monsoon sets in October and
continues till January.
The
rainfall during South-West monsoon period is much lower than that of North-East
monsoon. North-East monsoon is beneficial to the district at large because
of the heavy rainfall and the Western ghats feeding the river Cauvery. The
average rainfall is 37 inches (940 mm), most of which is contributed by
the North-East monsoon.
Economy
The
economy of Thanjavur district is essentially from agriculture and allied
sector. Above 75% of the workforce have been depending on agriculture. The
district is a deltaic plain fed by rivers Cauvery and Vennar. Some portion is
also fed by Grant Anaicut canal. The Gross Domestic Product of the District is
USD 1858 Million in 2011-12. Tertiary sector contributes the maximum share of
70% followed by secondary sector (17%). The GDDP of the district has increased
at a rate of 7% from 2006-07 to 2011-12. The shares of the sectors have been
maintained with the growth.
This district
lies at the Kaveri delta region, the most fertile region in the
state. The district is the main rice producing region in the state and hence known as
the Rice Bowl of Tamilnadu. Kaveri
River and its tributaries
irrigate the district. Apart from paddy, farmers here grow coconut and sugarcane and it is the largest producer of coconut in
Tamilnadu. Being an agrarian economy, industrial growth in the district is
mainly confined to agro-based industries. A large number of Rice mills, Oil
mills are spread over the district.
The
major occupation of the inhabitants of the city is tourism and service-oriented
industry, while the traditional occupation is agriculture. Thanjavur is known
as the "Rice bowl of Tamilnadu". Paddy is the crops and the other crops grown are black
gram, banana, coconut, gingelly, ragi, red
gram, green
gram, sugarcane and maize. The total percentage of land fit for cultivation is
58%. There are three seasons for agriculture in Thanjavur – Kuruvai (June to September), Samba (August to January) and Thaladi (September,
October to February, March).
The
total rice production has been maintained at 10.615 L.M.T and 7.077 L.M.T. The
city acts as a focal point for food grains transported from the adjoining areas
of the Cauvery Delta. Organic
farming is gradually being
known to the farmers of Thanjavur. To maximize agricultural produce organic
farming is being implemented. Though agriculture is the main economic activity,
only 7% of the population is involved in it. There is a lot of agricultural
related trading that forms the key economic activity in the city.
Thanjavur
is an important center of silk weaving in Tamil Nadu. There were 200 silk
weaving units in the city in 1991 with around 80,000 people working in
them. The Sarees produced in the villages surrounding Thanjavur are sold
in Thanjavur and neighbouring towns. Increasing production costs and
competition from large-scale producers have reduced the number of people
involved in the production. The city produces bell metal craft like
Thanjavur metal plates, bronze images bowls, napkins and powder boxes made of copper
and bronze.
The city
is a major manufacturer of pith works consisting of models of Hindu idols,
mosques, garlands and other bird figurines. Manufacture of musical instruments
like veena, tambura, violin, mrithamgam, thavil and kanjira is another economic activity in the city.
All
major nationalized banks such as State Bank of India, Indian
Bank, Central Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Indian Overseas Bank and private banks like ICICI
Bank, City
Union Bank have their branches
in Thanjavur. All these banks have their automated teller machines located in various parts of the city.
Demographics
According
to 2011 census, Thanjavur district had a population of 2,405,890 with
a sex-ratio of 1,035 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national
average of 929. A total of 238,598 were under the age of six, constituting
121,949 males and 116,649 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes accounted for 18.91%
and .15% of the population respectively. Thanjavur District population
constituted 3.33 percent of total Maharashtra population. In 2001 census, this
figure for Thanjavur District was at 3.55 percent of Maharashtra population. There
was change of 8.56 percent in the population compared to population as per
2001. In the previous census of India 2001, Thanjavur District recorded
increase of 7.91 percent to its population compared to 1991.
The
average literacy of the district was 74.44%, compared to the national average
of 72.99%. The district had a total of 605,363 households. There were a total
of 974,079 workers, comprising 117,321 cultivators, 327,673 main agricultural
labourers, 26,430 in house hold industries, 363,060 other workers, 139,595
marginal workers, 12,592 marginal cultivators, 87,688 marginal agricultural
labourers, 4,770 marginal workers in household industries and 34,545 other
marginal workers.
Education
Thanjavur
has a total of four Universities, namely the Tamil
University, SASTRA
University, PRIST University
and Periyar Maniammai University. The Tamil University is a state run institute, started
during 1981 and obtained its statutory recognition from the University Grants
Commission in 1983. It is the only one of its kind for the Tamil language doing
higher research in Tamilology and advanced study in various allied branches
like linguistics, translation, lexicography, music, drama and manuscriptology.
Thanjavur
has a total of 15 arts, science & management colleges and nine engineering
colleges. The Thanjavur Medical College was established in 1961 and is one of the oldest
medical colleges in Tamil Nadu. The Paddy Processing Research Centre
(PPRC), which later became the Indian
Institute of Crop Processing Technology (IICPT) in 2008, is a hub for food processing
research. The Saraswati Mahal Library which dates back to the end of the 16th century
and the Central Library, managed by the district administration are the two
most prominent libraries in the city.
There
are 20 registered schools in Thanjavur, catering to the primary, secondary and
higher secondary educational needs of the city. St.Peter's Higher Secondary
School at Thanjavur was established by Rev. C F Schwartz during 1784. Originally established as a college,
it was the first school in South India which taught English to the local
populace. St.Antony's Higher Secondary
School, established in 1885 by
the Diocese of Thanjavur, is one of the oldest schools in Thanjavur district.
Christian Missionaries played a prominent role in promoting English education
in Thanjavur. Kalyanasundaram Higher
Secondary School, established in 1891, is
one of the oldest schools in the city.
Utility Services
Electricity
supply to Thanjavur is regulated and distributed by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB). The city along with its suburbs is a part
of Trichy Electricity Distribution Circle. Water supply is provided by the
Thanjavur Corporation from the Vadavar Canal, supplied through overhead tanks
located in various parts of the city. During the 2000–01 periods, a total of 31
million litres of water was supplied every day for households in the city.
About
110 metric tonnes of solid waste are collected from Thanjavur every day by door-to-door
collection and subsequently the source segregation and dumping is carried out
by the sanitary department of the Thanjavur Corporation. The coverage of solid
waste management had an efficiency of 100% as of 2001. The underground
drainage system covers 70% of the city and the remaining sewerage system for
disposal of sullage is through septic tanks, open drains and public
conveniences. The Corporation maintains a total of 155 km (96 mi) of
storm water drains: 53.27 km (33.10 mi) surfaced drains and 101.73 km
(63.21 mi) unlined drains.
There
are 37 hospitals and seven clinical labs in Thanjavur that take care of the
health care needs of the citizens. There are a total of 9,745 street
lamps: 492 sodium lamps, 2,061 mercury vapour lamps, 7,180 tube lights and
twelve high mast beam lamps. The Corporation operates three markets,
namely the Serfoji Market, Amarar Swaminathan Market and Kamaraj Market and
another market, the Subramaniya Swami Koil Market, is maintained by the
Subramania Swami Temple authority.
Thanjavur
comes under the Thanjavur Telecom circle of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), India's state-owned telecom and internet services
provider. Apart from telecom, BSNL also provides broadband internet service. The
Regional Passport office Trichy operates a Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) in Thanjavur.
Thanjavur PSK covers the Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, and
Ariyalur revenue districts.
Tourism &
Culture
Peruvudaiyar
Temple, built by the Cholas and a UNESCO World Heritage Site is located at Thanjavur. The green paddy fields
and the Kaveri river provide for picturesque spots in the district. Airavateshwarar temple near Kumbakonam is also a UNESCO declared World Heritage site and
another major tourist attraction in the district.
Thanjavur
is an important pilgrim centre and a major tourist destination of Tamil
Nadu. South Zone Culture Centre in Thanjavur is one of the regional cultural
centres established by the Government of India to preserve and promote cultural
heritage of India. There were 2,002,225 Indian and 81,435 foreign tourist
arrivals in 2009 to Thanjavur.
The Thanjavur Maratha palace was the official residence of the Bhonsle family who ruled
over the Thanjavur region from 1674 to 1855. It was originally constructed by
the rulers of Thanjavur Nayak kingdom and after their fall, it served as the official
residence of the Thanjavur Marathas. When most of the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom
was annexed by the British Empire in 1799, the Thanjavur Marathas continued to
hold sway over the palace and the surrounding fort. The southern side of the
third quadrangle of the palace has 190 ft. (58 m) tower like
building, called the Goodagopuram.
The Saraswathi Mahal Library, established around 1700 and located in the premises of
the palace, contains over 30,000 Indian and European manuscripts written on
palm leaf and paper. Over eighty per cent of its manuscripts are in Sanskrit and many of them are on palm leaves. The Tamil
works include treatise on medicine, and commentaries on Sangam
literature.
The
Rajaraja Chola art gallery is located inside the palace – it has a large
collection of stone and bronze images from the ninth to 12th centuries. Most of
the idols present in the gallery were collected from various temples in the
Thanjavur district. The Sivaganga
Park is situated to the east of the Brihadeeswarar Temple
and encompasses the Sivaganga Tank believed to have been built by the king Raja
Raja Chola. It was created as a people's park by the Tanjore municipality in
1871–72. It has a collection of plants, animals and birds and serves as a zoo
for children within the city.
Schwartz
Church, a historic monument located in the palace garden, was built in 1779
by Serfoji II as a token of affection for Rev. C.V. Schwartz of
the Danish Mission. There are five museums in the city namely
Archeological Museum, Tamil University Museum located with the Tamil University
premises, the Saraswathi Mahal Library Museum located inside the Saraswathi
Mahal, Nayak Durbar Hall Art Museum and Rajaraja Chola Museum.
Raja
Rajan Manimandapam is one of the tourist attractions in Thanjavur, built during
the Thanjavur Tamil Conference in 1991. "Sangeetha Mahal" has a
permanent handicrafts exhibition centre. Thanjavur is the cradle for
many of the arts and crafts in South India. Carnatic
music was codified in
Thanjavur and the art flourished during the Nayak rule in the 16th century. Barathanattiyam, a classical dance form of South India, had its major
styles developed in Thanjavur.
Sathaya
Thiruvizha is the annual birthday festival of Raja Raja Chola held during
October every year. Thanjavur is the base for the Thyagaraja Aradhana, a music festival held annually during January –
February at Thiruvaiyaru, located 13 km (8.1 mi) away from the city.
Thanjavur
painting is one of the major forms
of classical Indian paintings. It dates back to about 1600s, the period
of Nayakas of Thanjavur, who encouraged art, classical dance,
music literature, both in Telugu and Tamil. The art is usually a combination of
raised and painted surfaces, with the Hindu god Krishna being the most popular image depicted. In modern
times, these paintings have become souvenirs of festive occasions in South
India, wall decors, and collectors' items for art lovers. Thanjavur District is
home to the most famous Hindu Temples like Thiruvidaimarudur Mahalinga Swamy
Temple, Kumbakonam Group of Temples, Navagraha Temples and many other temples.
Refer
below link for places of Interest in Thanjavur District;
Hotels
For
brief details, please refer below link;
Connectivity
For
brief details, please refer below link;
