History
The Thanjavur Maratha palace was originally constructed by the rulers of Thanjavur Nayak kingdom. After the fall of the Thanjavur Nayak kingdom, it served as the official residence of the Thanjavur Maratha. When most of the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom was annexed by the British Empire in 1799, the Thanjavur Marathas continued to hold sway over the palace and the surrounding fort. The Bhonslefamily continued to hold on to the palace even after the last king Shivaji II.
Constituents
The palace complex consists of the Sadar Mahal Palace, the queen's courtyard and the Durbar Hall. The Royal Palace Museum contains a splendid collection of Chola bronzes. The Raja Serfoji Memorial Hall and the Royal Palace Museum are situated in the Sadar Mahal Palace. There is also a small bell tower. The Saraswathi Mahal Library is situated with the Thanjavur palace complex
Visitor Information
Famous For: Paintings, Statues, Manuscripts, History, Learning and Photography
Entrance Fee: The entrance fee is 50 INR. Cameras are allowed at a fee of 30 INR.
Visiting Time: Royal Palace stays open every day, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and remains closed during lunch hours. The Royal Palace is closed on public holidays.
Visit Duration: Two hours, approximately.
Thanjavur is a district in Tamil Nadu, highly popular for its worldwide famous temples which stand today as testimony of fantastic architectural skills of the ancient Tamils. Thanjavur has also carved a name for itself in the field of art, thanks to the traditional Thanjavur paintings. The Royal Palace of Thanjavur is a primary place of interest in Tamil Nadu, since it hosts myriad primeval items including the Thanjavur paintings, statues from the Pallava, Chola, Pandiya and Nayaka periods. It is also known as ‘Aranmanai’ and sometimes referred to as the Maratha Palace Complex. The palace was constructed by the Nayakas and then taken over by the Marathas. The palace complex has many sections and each section is worth devoting time.
Traveller Tips
Do not fidget with the properties of Royal Palace. The items displayed here have been treasured for years together.
You are guaranteed to get to see some amazing paintings and items used by the royals of the past. So, it is worth paying a few bucks to carry your camera inside and capture the rare sightings.
Try visiting all the sections of the Royal Palace to leave no stone unturned. The Royal Palace is a storehouse of brilliant rich stuff of the past and your mouth would gape in awe, at every section.
Things to Do
Do not miss to watch the AV displays in the cinema hall. These are played on an hourly basis from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and highlight the history of Thanjavur.
தஞ்சை அரண்மனைஎன்பது தமிழ்நாட்டின், தஞ்சாவூர் மாவட்டம், தஞ்சாவூரில் உள்ள ஒரு அரண்மனைஆகும். இந்த அரண்மனை முதலில் தஞ்சாவூர் நாயக்கர்களால் கட்டப்பட்டது. பின்னர் கி.பி. 1674 இல் இருந்து 1855 வரை மராட்டிய அரசின் கைவசம் இருந்தது. இந்த அரண்மனை வளாகத்தில்தான் சரஸ்வதி மகால் நூலகம், தஞ்சைக் கலைக்கூடம், தஞ்சை தீயணைப்பு நிலையம், தஞ்சை மேற்கு காவல் நிலையம், அரசுப் பொறியியல் கல்லூரி, அரசர் மேல்நிலைப் பள்ளி, தொல்லியல்துறை அலுவலகம் போன்றவை அமைந்துள்ளன.
வரலாறு
இந்த அரண்மனையானது நாயக்க மன்னர்களான செவ்வப்ப நாயக்கரால் கட்டத் தொடங்கப்பட்டு, இரகுநாத நாயக்கரால் தொடரப்பட்டு, விஜயராகவ நாயக்கரால் முடிக்கப்பட்டது என்பது பொதுவான கருத்து. மாராட்டியர் காலத்தில் மராட்டிய கட்டடக்கலை நுணுக்கத்துடன் அரண்மனையின் சில பகுதிகள் கட்டப்பட்டன..