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Tiruchirapalli
Brief
Tiruchirapalli or Tiruchi is the fourth largest city in Tamilnadu. Once
the citadel of the Cholas, this strategic city, was much too benevolent,
under the rule of the Nayaks of Madurai. Apart from the Rock with its historicity
of spiritual significance, Tiruchi has popular institutions,
built in the second half of 18th century by the Christian Missionaries.
Being located in the heart of the State, Tiruchi has a blend of tradition
and modernity, offering a variety of attractions to tourists. for repeat
visits.
History
Tiruchirappalli bounds in history. Once the citadel of the Cholas, which later fell to the Pallavas, this strategic city had the vicissitude of being ruled by the Vijayanagara emperors and the Nayaks of Madurai, Marathas, French and finally the British. It was only under the Nayaks of Madura,i that Tiruchi grew and developed in various areas, so as to blossom into a dynamic city.
CultureClimate & Geogaphical Location
Being close to the sea and the Equator, the temperature does not vary much. Summers are hot and winters are warm. Situated on the banks of the river Kaveri and in the heart of the State, Tiruchirappalli is the fourth largest city in the state.
How to Reach
Rail, road and air connect Tiruchirapalli. By air, the nearest airport is at Tiruchirapalli, which connects it ,with Chennai, Sharjah, Kuwait and Colombo. Tiruchirapalli is an important junction ,on the Southern Railway and is well connected by train services with Chennai, Thanjavur, Madurai, Tirupathi, Tuticorin, Rameshwaram, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Mysore, Kochi, Kanniyakumari and Mangalore. This town is also well connected by road ,with important places and also Southern cties.
Tourist Places
Rock Fort
One of the oldest in the world, Tiruchis most famed landmark, is an 83m
high rock, making it older than the Himalayas and the Rocks of Greenland.
The centre of attraction, is the temple at the summit of 344 steps, hewn
out of rock leading to the top, where there are inscriptions dating back
to the 3rd century B.C. Atop the rock is a temple dedicated to Lord Vinayaka
called the Uchipillaiyar Koil. The sheer abruptness of its rise is an
attention grabber, from where one can enjoy a panoramic view of Tiruchi.
A flight of steps lead to the Mathrubutheswarar or Thayamanaswami temple,
dedicated to Lord Siva, where the Lingam, is a projection of the rock
itself. Below the Siva temple, there are two Pallava cave temples.There
is a tank and a pavilion, which are used during the float festival of
the temples. The Rock fort played an important part during the Carnatic
Wars laying the foundations of the British Empire in India.Tirumayam
Tirumayam is one of the most interesting places around Pudukottai, There are a couple of rock cut cave temples and an old fort, both of which are worth stopping for. The cave temple which lie side by side, are dedicated to Siva (Sahtyagireeswarar) and Vishnu (Sathyamoorthy) and were built by Mahendravarman and Narasimhavarman Pallava. The Siva temple has some inscriptions of music. There are two shrines in the Vishnu temple, and the one where the lord is represented in a reclining posture, is particularly remarkable, as it is the largest of its kind in the country. On the walls behind the idol, are beautiful carvings depicting Vishnu and his serpent Adisesha, chasing away rakshasas (demons) by spewing fire and poison. Atop the hill is an old fort called Oomaiyan Kottai, where the British imprisoned captured rebels. The King Sethupathi of Ramanathpuram built it in 1687.
SrirangamThe districts most important pilgrim centre it is located in an island just 7 km from Tiruchi. Srirangam, surrounded by the waters of river Kaveri on one side and its tributary Kollidam on the other, is a 600 - acre island town, enclosed within the seven walls of the gigantic Sri Ranganathaswami Temple. There are 21 gopurams, among which the Rajagopuram is the largest in South India. The 72m, high 13 -tiered gopuram was built in 1987 and dominates the landscape for miles around, while the remining 20 gopurams, were built between the 14th and 17th centuries. Originally, it was just a small temple, but it was expanded by the Cholas, Cheras, Pandyas, Hoysalas, the Vijayanagar Kings and Nayaks of Madurai and today, Srirangam stands as the biggest temple complex in the country.
Gangaikondacholapuram
The Brahadeeswarar temple at Gangaikondacholapuram, was conceived and constructed by the Chola King Rajendra-I, after his victory over the kingdoms, bordering the river Ganges. Apart form the huge Nandi, there are some beautiful sculptures including a dancing Ganesha, a lion-headed well and a stunning frieze depicting Rajendra being crowned by Siva and Parvati.
Others
GRAND ANAICUT - KALLANI - Not far from the island is one of the greatest engineering marvels of India. Karikala Chola built the Grand Anaikut, iin the 2nd century A.D. to harness the waters of the Kaveri.
ST. JOHNS CHURCH - This Church built in 1812 has louvered doors, which open, to convert it into an airy pavilion, and is located near the Theppakulam.
KODUMBALUR - Also known as Moovarkoil (36 km from Pudukkottai). Of the three shrines of Moovarkoil, only two exist now. It was formerly the seat of the Irukuvelar. These temples were built by Boodhi Vikramakesari in the 10th century A.D. with sculptures of Kalarimurthy.
KUDUMIYANMALAI - The Siva temple here, has some interesting ,as well
as beautiful sculptures. One of the inscriptions deals with the musical
treatise of Mahendravaraman Pallava and his experimentation, with an eight-stringed
instrument called parivadini. MUKKOMBU (UPPER ANAICUT) - At the head of the Srirangam Island, there is another dam called Upper Anaicut or Mukkombu, which is about 685m long. Constructed in the 19th century across the Kollidam, this dam has been forced into three sections instead of one long stretch.
SITTANNAVASAL - In this village are the remains of a 2nd century B.C. Jain cave temple. Fresco paintings reminiscent of Ajanta adorn the walls. Many of them are typical of the 9th century Pandyan period and include exquisitely detailed pictures of animals, fish, ducks etc.
TIRUVANAIKKAVAL OR JAMBUKESWARAR TEMPLE - Situated 2 km east of Srirangam, this beautiful Siva temple, steals the show from the larger Ranganathaswami temple due to its excellent architectural design. The temple is named after the elephant, which is believed to have workshipped Lord Shiva here.
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