While in Thanjavur
Apart from the Big Temple, the Sivaganga Fort (built in the 16th century by the Nayak kings and modified later by the Marathas), contains a number of tourist attractions: the 18th century Schwartz Church and the Royal Palace, along with two museums, the Sivaganga Tank and Park. Although the palace looks a little decrepit now, it is definitely worth a visit for the Rajaraja Museum, and the Art Gallery, both of which have a fine collection of Chola bronzes and stone sculptures. The Saraswati Mahal Library, also in the palace complex, is famous for its large collection of rare manuscripts and has a bookshop (Rajaraja Museum entry fee: Indians, adults Rs 10, children Rs 5; foreigners, adults Rs 50, children Rs 25; open 9 am-1 pm, 3-6 pm; no photography here * Art Gallery entry fee: Indians Rs 5, children Rs 2, foreigners Rs 15; open 9 am-1 pm, 3-6 pm; still camera Rs 30, video camera Rs 200 * Saraswati Mahal Library entry free; open 10 am-1 pm, 3-6 pm; Wed closed). The ornamental balconies of the six-storey Sharajah Madi (open 10 am-5.45 pm; entry fee: adults Rs 5, children Rs 2), in the eastern part of the palace, offer a panoramic view of Thanjavur Town. Don't miss the Rajagopala Beerangi (10 am-6 pm, open all days) near the eastern gate of the fort, said to be the biggest cannon in India.

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Around Thanjavur
Thiruvaiyaru (13 km NW)
Thiruvaiyaru is a small, quiet town. However, its modesty belies its importance as a pilgrim centre. On the highway from Thanjavur, you pass five bridges ' over the Vadavar, Vettar, Vennar, Kudamurutti and Cauvery, the five rivers from which Thiruvaiyaru gets its name (thiru = sacred; ai = five; aaru = river). The presiding deity of the Shiva temple here, Panchanatheesvarar (in Tamil, Ayyarappan ' both mean the same thing, `the Lord of the Five Rivers') also gets his name from them. Thiruvaiyaru is considered as holy as Varanasi and bathing in the Cauvery here is as guaranteed to rid devotees of sins as bathing in the Ganga.

Panchanatheesvarar Temple
This temple to Shiva sprawls over a 14-acre campus and is both grand and serene. Beyond the temple are lush paddy fields and groves.

He who attracts his devotees/ The way honey attracts bees/ He who wears white ashes/ And is the Truth for those who seek it/ Oh, He who sits by the five rivers, Let us sing of him!' joyously sang Manikkavachagar, one of the Thevaram saints, of the deity of this kshetra.

The lingam in the main sanctum and the idols of Goddess Dharmasamvardhini (Aramvalartha Nayaki in Tamil ' both mean, `She who nurtures dharma'), Vinayaka, Muruga and Nandi, are said to have been found underground by a king whose chariot wheels got embedded in the ground where the temple now stands. A wise minister advised the king to dig around the wheels and there came into view not only the idols but also a living siddha (a realised being) who was in deep meditation, his locks spread across the pit like banyan roots. The stunned king fell at his feet. The yogi blessed him and commanded him to build the temple for Aiyarappar at the same spot. 'You will find the gold and the materials required for the construction under the hooves of the Nandi idol,' he further told the king. So it was found. Inscriptions and architectural details point to the temple having been built in the early Chola period.

Of special importance is the shrine of Shiva as Alkondesar, opposite the southern entrance. Legend goes that it was here that Shiva killed Yama, the god of death, for daring to lay hands on a young devotee of his. Outside the shrine, kungiliyam (benzoin) burns in a holder night and day, the belief being that the smoke protects people from the fear of death. Notice the words: not death but the fear of it.

In the third prakaram of the temple is an interesting feature: if one stands in its south-western corner, faces the north, and calls `Aiyarappa!', the word echoes several times. The temple tank, Surya Pushkarni, is a large one. It was from bathing in this tank that the aging and frail saint, Tirunavukkarasar, rose to see a vision of Shiva on Mount Kailash.

I have seen Him with the crescent moon in his hair,/ With the Daughter of the mountains by his side,/ In Aiyaru, I see the Bull,/ I see His feet,/ I see what no one else has seen!' sang Appar in ecstasy.
The temple celebrates this event in a festival in Adi (Jul-Aug).
*Location About a kilometre from the main bazaar street in the middle of the town Timings 6 am-noon, 4-9 pm Temple Tel 04362-260332 Related info Non-Hindus are not allowed into the sanctum. Still and video cameras can only be used in the outer prakarams

Samadhi of Sri Thyagaraja
Thiruvaiyaru has been, and still is, home to many enlightened siddhas and ascetics. The 18th century saint-composer, Sri Thyagaraja, whose life was characterised by the ceaseless and divine music that flowed from him, was a resident of Thiruvaiyaru. His samadhi on the banks of the Cauvery is one of the reasons why people visit the place today.

Thyagaraja's family lived all his life in a house in Tirumanjana Veedhi (a kilometre south of the samadhi), given to the family by the Maratha royal family of Thanjavur. It is preserved for the public to visit even today (a good time to visit is around 11 am; the house is not kept open right through the day). The worship of Rama became the keynote of the boy's life, and he composed his first kriti, Namo namo Raghavaya' when he was 13, spontaneously, while worshipping the deity. Bhakti and music thereafter became his only interests in life. Thyagaraja composed more than 800 songs on Rama alone, apart from kritis praising other deities, including Aiyarappar. Saint Thyagaraja's music was a true example of nadopasana, worship through music.

The samadhi of Thyagaraja is housed in a small shrine in the middle of a shady stretch of land on the river banks. The view from here, of the river, the ghats (there are 24 in the town), and the many mansions built along the river by the Marathas, is pretty. There is something peaceful about this shrine, a feeling worth experiencing.

Every year the death anniversary of Saint Thyagaraja is commemorated on Bahula Panchami (mid-Jan) at his samadhi in Thiruvaiyaru with, appropriately, a music festival, the Thyagaraja Aradhanai. The best known Carnatic musicians join lesser known voices in singing the pancharatna kritis, the five compositions that are considered Thyagaraja's gems or ratnas. Listening to their voices soar in unison is a spiritual and emotional experience.
*Location 2 km north of the Panchanatheesvarar Temple Timings 7 am-noon, 4-8.30 pm Nearby Thingalur (the Navagraha Sthala for Moon or Thingal) is 6 km north-east

While in Thiruvaiyaru
Thiruvaiyaru also has, befittingly, a government-run college of music. The interesting thing about Raja College is that it is housed in an old chatram (structures that sheltered travellers in the days gone by) building on the banks of the Cauvery, not far from Thyagaraja's samadhi. If you are lucky you can sit in on a nadaswaram (a wind instrument) or tavil (the drum that accompanies it) class. Have you listened to the reverberations of a tavil in the confines of a thick, walled, ancient room? You must.