The Ethnic Weaves Tour: Tamil Nadu

The Kanchipuram Silk Sari

The Ethnic Weaves Tour of the Great India Tour Company takes you to the various places in India that showcase the ancient heritage and indigenous industries of India. The tour that spans 4 nights and 5 days takes you along famous locations in the state of Tamil Nadu such as Chennai, Mahabalipuram, Pondicherry and Kanchipuram.

Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu and was formerly known as Madras during and after the British colonial rule. It is now South India’s commercial and cultural capital and the fourth largest metropolitan city in India. Until the British arrival in Chennai in the seventeenth century, it was a group of hamlets that stretched across the Coromandel Coast ruled by the traditional rulers. Now it is a mixture of the old and the new in its culture, architecture, literature and art.

Mahabalipuram, a UNESCO World Heritage site is a little seaside town that is within an hour’s drive from Chennai. This ancient town that dates back to the 7th century has a beautiful beach that extends to a distance of 20 kms. It is famous for its monolithic rock-cut shrines, rare sculptures and architectural delights. Named after the five epic heroes of Mahabharata and their queen Draupadi, the temples in Mahabalipuram were carved out of large boulders by the stone-cutters.

Pondicherry was a former French colony that was established in 1674. With a 32 kms long coastline, Pondicherry still retains some of its old glory in the form of its French Boulevard Town. One famous attraction for the traveller is the Aurobindo Ashram that offers courses in meditation.

Kanchipuram is one of the 7 most sacred pilgrim centres of the Hindus in India. It was the capital during the reign of the Chola dynasty and is famous for its temples and Kanchipuram silks that form a crucial part of the wedding trousseau of an Indian bride.

Chidambaram

Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu is a sacred place for believers of Hindu Religion who believe that it was in this place that Lord Shiva performed his cosmic dance, which is called tandava nritya. This temple town has mythological as well as historical significance and is known for the rituals of contrition, cleansing and search for salvation in Hindu mythology. The chief attractions of this place are the Nataraja Temple, the Govindarajaswamy Shrine, the Shivakamasundari Shrine and the Subramanyan Shrine, which are all located in same temple complex.

The Nataraja Temple was built by the Chola dynasty in the 9th century and is dedicated to Lord Shiva in his form of Nataraja or the Lord of Dance. Built in the form of hut with gold-plated roof, the temple has a huge tank and four colourful towers. The eastern tower is remarkable in that it has elaborate sculptures that detail the 108 hand and feet movements of Bharat Natyam, the traditional dance form of Tamil Nadu.

The temple has five large halls or sabhas, each built with a specific purpose in mind. It was in the Raja Sabha or Royal Hall that many of the Chola emperors had their crowning ceremonies. In the Deva Sabha or the Divine Hall, the administrative functions were conducted while the Nritya Sabha or dance hall housed beautiful sculptures of dance. The Chit Sabha or the Hall of Bliss has five elemental statues of Lord Shiva. The inner shrine is veiled and concealed behind a black curtain that is removed only during the time of prayer. The fifth hall is the Kanaka Sabha or Golden Hall, the exact place where Lord Shiva performed his cosmic dance.

Govindarajaswamy Shrine dedicated to Lord Vishnu, Shivakamasundari Shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva’s consort Parvati and the Subramanyan Shrine, dedicated to Lord Subramanyan are located within the same temple complex.

Trichy

Trichy also known as Thiruchirapalli got its name from the three-headed demon tirusira who attained salvation after he was killed by Lord Shiva. Located on the banks of the River Kaveri, Trichy is one of the booming commercial centres of Tamil Nadu. The town has historical importance as it was a major place during the reigns of the Pallava, Chola, Nayaka dynasties and during the colonial rule of the British who renamed Thiruchirapalli as Trichy. Most of the present day town was built by the British in the 18th and 19th centuries. The chief attractions of this second largest city in Tamil Nadu are the Rock Fort Temple and beautiful churches such as Christ Church, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes and the Church of St. John.

The Rock Fort Temple is located on an ancient massive rock that rises 83 m above the plains. The Nayaka dynasty, who made Trichy their capital in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, built a fortress on this huge rock that is several millions of years old. Very little remains of the fortress except the Uchipillaiyar Temple dedicated to Lord Ganapati. The summit offers a beautiful view of entire Trichy with its verdant fields and the island of Srirangam. The Thayumanaswami temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, who took the form of a mother who could not assist in her daughter’s childbirth. Below this temple, there are two Pallava cave temples that dates back to the sixth and seventh centuries.

Trichy has beautiful churches from the previous centuries such as the Christ Church, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes and the Church of St. John. Christ Church was founded by Reverend Frederick Christian Schwartz in 1766 while the Neo-Gothic Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes was built in 1840 and the Church of St. John built in 1816.

Thanjavur

Thanjavur is famous for its temples, rice fields, handicrafts and Carnatic music. Also known as the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu, this city was the political capital of the Chola, the Nayaka and the Maratha dynasties. It was mainly during the Chola reign that lasted from the 9th century till the 13th century that Thanjavur attained its political significance. The classical music of South India, Carnatic Music that is religious in nature and uses several musical instruments to create melody and rhythm originated here in Thanjavur. The main attractions in Thanjavur are the Sri Brihadisvara Temple, the Royal Palace and the famous Thanjavur paintings.

Sri Brihadisvara Temple was built by Rajaraja Chola I of the Chola dynasty and was completed in AD 1010. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. An amazing example of Chola architecture, this temple basement has inscriptions that have historical value in that they give valuable details on the administration, revenue as well as the society at that time. A huge statue of Nandi guards the sanctum sanctorum. The walls of the inner shrine are decorated with frescoes belonging to the Chola and Nayaka eras. These paintings were discovered beneath the disintegrating Maratha paintings f the 17th century.

The Royal Palace, built in the shape of a flying eagle, was built by the Nayaka dynasty but was reworked by the Maratha dynasty. The seven-storeyed observation tower, the intricately decorated but huge Durbar Hall built by the Maratha ruler Shahji II and the Rajaraja Museum and Art Gallery form the attractions of this Royal Palace in Thanjavur. The famous Thanjavur Paintings were patronized by the Maratha ruler Serfoji II. Highly ornamental, decorative and colourful, these paintings have religious themes and highly symbolic colours that represent particular deities. Most of the subjects have round bodies and faces and almond-shaped eyes.