Great Living Chola Temples

Brihadeeswarar temple fire is a fire accident that occurred during the consecration of the Brihadeeswarar Temple on 7 June 1997 in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India. The accident was caused by a spark that caught up the thatch. A stampede occurred due to the panic created, and a total of 48 people were killed and left more than 200 people injured. It is believed a fire cracker lit near the temple fell on the yagasala, a temporary structure built to accommodate the ritual ceremonies, and sparked the fire that spread to the thatched roofs. A stampede resulted when the panic-stricken devotees rushed the only entrance to the temple on the eastern side. The rescue operations were monitored by Pulavar Senguttuvan, the state Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, T N Ramanathan, the District Collector, S K Dogra, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police and Jayanth Murali, Superintendent of Police of Thanjavur district at that time. The rescue operations were aided by Home Guards, member of Red Cross and the general public. The Tamil Nadu Government announced a compensation of Rs 100,000 to the families of the deceased and the injured were paid from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000 each.

Brihadishvara Temple, called Rajarajesvaram (lit. 'Lord of Rajaraja') by its builder, and known locally as Thanjai Periya Kovil (lit. 'Thanjavur Big Temple') and Peruvudaiyar Kovil, is a Shaivite Hindu temple built in a Chola architectural style located on the south bank of the Cauvery river in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the largest Hindu temples and an exemplar of Tamil architecture. It is also called Dakshina Meru (Meru of the South). Built by Chola emperor Rajaraja I between 1003 and 1010 CE, the temple is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Great Living Chola Temples", along with the Chola-era Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple and Airavatesvara temple, which are about 70 kilometres (43 mi) and 40 kilometres (25 mi) to its northeast respectively.The original monuments of this 11th-century temple were built around a moat. It included gopura, the main temple, its massive tower, inscriptions, frescoes, and sculptures predominantly related to Shaivism, but also of Vaishnavism and Shaktism. The temple was damaged in its history and some artwork is now missing. Additional mandapam and monuments were added in the centuries that followed. The temple now stands amidst fortified walls that were added after the 16th century.Built using granite, the vimana tower above the shrine is one of the tallest in South India. The temple has a massive colonnaded prakara (corridor) and one of the largest Shiva lingas in India. It is also famed for the quality of its sculpture, as well as being the location that commissioned the brass Nataraja, Shiva as the lord of dance, in the 11th century. The complex includes shrines for Nandi, Parvati, Murugan, Ganesha, Sabhapati, Dakshinamurti, Chandeshvara, Varahi, Thiyagarajar of Thiruvarur, Siddhar Karuvoorar and others. The temple is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Tamil Nadu.

Thanjavur is a taluk of Thanjavur district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Thanjavur (Tamil: [t̪aɲdʑaːʋuːɾ]), also known as Thanjai, previously known as Tanjore, is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of southern Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Great Living Chola Temples, which are UNESCO World Heritage Monuments, are located in and around Thanjavur. The foremost among these, the Brihadeeswara Temple, built by the Chola emperor Rajaraja I, is located in the centre of the city. This temple has one of the largest bull statue in India carved out of a single granite rock called Nandi. Thanjavur is also home to Tanjore painting, a painting style unique to the region. Thanjavur is the headquarters of the Thanjavur District. The city is an important agricultural centre located in the Kaveri Delta and is known as the Rice bowl of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is administered by a municipal corporation covering an area of 36.31 km2 (14.02 sq mi) and had a population of 222,943. Roadways are the major means of transportation, while the city also has rail connectivity. The nearest airport is Tiruchirapalli International Airport, located 59.6 km (37.0 mi) away from the city. The nearest seaport is Karaikal, which is 94 km (58 mi) away from Thanjavur. The city first rose to prominence during the reign of the Cholas when it served as the capital of the empire. After the fall of the Cholas, the city was ruled by various dynasties such as the Mutharaiyar dynasty, the Pandyas, the Vijayanagar Empire, the Madurai Nayaks, the Thanjavur Nayaks, the Thanjavur Marathas and the British Empire. It has been a part of independent India since 1947.

Thanjavur Junction (station code: TJ) is a junction railway station in Thanjavur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and serves Thanjavur, earlier known as Tanjore.

Thanjavur district is one of the 38 districts of the state of Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. Its headquarters is Thanjavur. The district is located in the delta of the Cauvery River and is mostly agrarian.

Saraswathi Mahal Library, also called Thanjavur Maharaja Serfoji's Saraswathi Mahal Library is a library located in Thanjavur (Tanjore), Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the oldest libraries in Asia established during 16th century by Nayakar kings of Thanjavur and has on display a rare collection of Palm leaf manuscripts and paper written in Tamil and Sanskrit and a few other indigenous languages of india (especially southern regional languages). The collection comprises well over 49,000 volumes, though only a tiny fraction of these are on display. The library has a complete catalog of holdings, which is being made available online. Some rare holdings can be viewed on site by prior arrangement. Encyclopedia Britannica mentions the library as the "Most remarkable library of India".

Achampatti is a village in the Budhalur taluk of Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, India.

Inathukanpatti, also known as Inayathukkanpatti, is a village in the Thanjavur taluk of Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, India.

Indalur is a village in the Thanjavur taluk of Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, India.

The Sacred Heart Girls Higher Secondary School in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India, is an educational institute. The administration is under Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. The institution has Kindergarten, Primary school, High School and Higher Secondary. The institute provides co-educational teaching only for Kindergarten and Primary school. High school and higher secondary is not co-educational. Lessons are taught in Tamil and English. Sacred Heart Girls` Higher Secondary School, recognized under the Madras Educational rules is a minority institution under the direction of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Thanjavur. The school was founded in the year 1937 with the primary objective of serving the poor and the sick, socially backward and needy students irrespective of caste, Creed and religion. 'Towards Truth and Charity'is the motto of the school.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tanjore/Thanjavur (Latin: Tanioren(sis)) is a diocese located in the city of Tanjore in the ecclesiastical province of Pondicherry and Cuddalore in India.