Thanjavur

Thanjavur, also known as Thanjai and previously as Tanjore, is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and headquarters of Thanjavur District, an important center of southern Indian religion, art and architecture. Most of the Great Living Chola Temples, UNESCO World Heritage Monuments, are located in and around the city, foremost among them the Rajarajesvaram or Brihadisvara Temple built by the Chola emperor Rajaraja I in the city centre. Thanjavur first rose to prominence as capital of the Chola empire, was later ruled in turn by the Mutharaiyar dynasty, the Pandyas, the Vijayanagar Empire, the Madurai Nayaks, the Thanjavur Nayaks, the Thanjavur Marathas and the British Empire, and has been part of independent India since 1947.