Thanjavur is located at 10.8, 79.15[3]. It has an average elevation of 2 metres (6 feet). The city lies on the Kaveri River basin, 200 miles south of Chennai.
The Thanjavur area has a rich historical heritage and is a prism of ancient as well as the modern south Indian civilizations. The city was once the stronghold of the historic Cholas and at one time was also the capital of the Cholas, Mutharayars and Marathaswhen they were at the peak of their power. Since then, Thanjavur has been one of the chief political, cultural and religious centres of South India.
Thanjavur contains over 90 temples, as it was favored by the Chola rulers between the 1st - 12th centuries, the Nayakas in the 16th century, and the Marathas in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The great Brihadeeswara Temple, built by Rajaraja Chola I was completed around1010 AD. It remained the centre of the Chola administration for many years, channelling the state revenue into a number of civic projects. It also acted as a repository of the empire's records, as the great Rajaraja had its walls covered with numerous inscriptions recording his conquests and his endowments to various charities. The impression we get from the inscriptions is of a wealthy, progressive city, although totally dominated by the temple.
