An iconic complex spotlights the cultural mosaic of Thanjavur Premium

Discover the rich history of Thanjavur through the iconic Brihadeeswara Temple and the cultural mosaic of the Palace complex.

Thanjavur, one of the great symbols of the rich history of Tamil civilisation, is not only home to the Chola-era Brihadeeswara Temple (the Big Temple) of the 11th Century CE, but also a fine example of cultural mosaic. The city, situated in the heart of the Cauvery delta, was ruled by the Nayaks and the Marathas between the 16th Century CE and 19th Century CE. The Thanjavur Palace-Sarasvathi Mahal Library illustrates the city’s mosaic.

Being mostly under the control of the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology, the palace, with its ambience, transports any visitor to the medieval era. Representing the best in Nayak and Maratha architecture, the complex, spread over 10 acres, consists of several structures such as the seven-storey Arsenal Tower (Kudavayil Balasubramanian, in his 1995 publication on Thanjavur, states that it is eight-storey), Bell Tower, Durbar Hall, Sangeetha Mahal, and the Sarjah Madi (a structure added by Serfoji II in 1830 CE), apart from the library, which is regarded as one of the oldest in Asia.

Located one km away from the Big Temple, the Palace, also called Periyakottai (the big fort), was initially built by the Nayaks: Sevappa Nayak (1535-1560) and Achuthappa Nayak (1560-1614). Among the structures constructed during their period were the Arsenal Tower, Durbar Hall and Sangeetha Mahal. The Maratha kings were responsible for the construction of Sadar Mahal and Pooja Mahal in the 18th-19th Centuries, besides embellishment of the original structures.

The Arsenal Tower, known as Indira Mandiram, might have been used as a bedroom by the Nayak kings. Attached to it was Anthapuram where the kings had their harem.

During the British Raj, it was used as a military store. Raghunatha Nayak (1600-1633) and Vijaya Raghava Nayak (1633-1673) had contributed to the improvement of the structure. The former, known for his services in the fields of art and architecture, was said to have built the hall overlooking the tower, which had the influence of Muslim architecture. There is a view that the Nayaks, who ruled from 1532 CE to 1676 CE, must have tried to construct the tower on the lines of the 216-foot Vimana of the Brihadeeswara Temple, but could not succeed. In fact, Sevappa Nayak had first raised a fort in front of the Sivaganga Park, adjacent to the temple, and ruled from there. This was called the “small fort” and was occupied by him for five to six years from 1535 CE.

Actually, it was the Nayak era that marked the revival of Thanjavur as a great city of political, social, and cultural importance. After the fall of Cholas in the 13th Century CE, Maravarman Sundara Pandyan and Malik Kafur, Alauddin Khalji’s lieutenant, 100 years later, reduced the city to one of insignificance, according to the book on Thanjavur.

Just as the Arsenal Tower, other structures on the campus had their original names. For example, the Maratha Durbar Hall was called Lakshmi Vilasam. Mr. Balasubramanian was quoted in a report of The Hindu on September 4, 1994, as saying that there were two Durbar Halls — Maratha Durbar Hall, used by the Marathas, and the other used by the Nayaks. Both the Nayaks and the Marathas used the first Durbar Hall as their court hall.