Chola Temple Trail
Tiruchirappalli (also called Tiruchi or Trichy) is an ancient city in India’s southern Tamil Nadu state. The Kaveri and Kollidam rivers flow around Srirangam Island, which is known for sacred Hindu sites Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, with intricately carved gopurams (towering gateways), and Jambukeswarar-Akilandeswari Temple, dedicated to the god Shiva. The Rock Fort Temple complex towers over the city center.
Thanjavur is a city in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Its many temples include the 11th-century Brihadeeswarar Temple, a vast Chola dynasty–era complex with a frescoed interior. Thanjavur Maratha Palace is home to the centuries-old Saraswathi Mahal Library, with palm-leaf manuscripts, and Thanjavur Art Gallery, with bronze statues. Tamil University Museum displays coins, folk artifacts and musical instruments.
Kumbakonam or Kudanthai, is a city municipal corporation in the Thanjavur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located 40 km from Thanjavur and 282 km from Chennai and is the headquarters of the Kumbakonam taluk of Thanjavur district. It is the second largest city in the district after Thanjavur.
Chidambaram is a prominent temple town in Tamil Nadu centered around the historic Thillai Nataraja Temple, which honors Lord Shiva as the cosmic dancer and houses one of the 108 Vishnu Divya Desams. The town is also a gateway to the famous Pichavaram Mangrove Forest, known for its scenic boating and birdwatching.
