Thanjavur

Located in the Kaveri heartland, it has the distinction of being the capital of the Chola Empire for three centuries although the origin of the town goes back to the beginning of the Christian era. Full of natural beauty, thanjavur is the granary of Tamil Nadu.

Brihadeshwarar Temple: Raja Raja Chola between 985-1014 AD built the Brihadeshwarar temple, an UNESCO heritage site. The architecture of the temple is the final evaluation of Dravidian sensibility in its blend and design. The glorious Chola legacy has left behind not less than 74 temples in and around Thanjavur.

The Rajarajeshwara Temple popularly known as the Brihadeshwarar temple not only embodies technical perfection but also visually symbolises the fusion of ritual and philosophic concept that flowered in the region.

The dome on the gopuram is constructed from a single piece of granite. Estimated to weight more than 80 tonnes, the dome was houled into place along a 6-kilometre ram made of stone and earth in a manner similar to the one used by the Egyptians to build the pyramids.

An intriguing aspect of the temple's design is that the shadow of this dome does not touch the ground, but falls just alongside its tower.