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is visible for miles around. It’s capped by an octagonal cupola carved from a single block of granite that was hauled into place along a ramp that is said to have been 6km (3 3⁄4 miles) long. Within the sanctum is a 4m (13-ft.) lingam; facing the sanctum, a colossal 25-ton Nandi monolith (Nandi being the vehicle for Shiva), carved from solid granite, dominates the courtyard. Numerous extant inscriptions on the molded plinth describe the enormous wealth of the temple (much of it booty from Rajaraja’s successful campaigns), as well as the copious acts of ritual and celebration that took place here. In its heyday, an enormous staff was maintained to attend to the temple’s varied activities; these included everything from administration to procuring dancing girls.

West of Thanjavur bus stand. Visitors may be able to make prior arrangements for entry to the sanctum and the upper floors of the temple by contacting the local tourist office. Daily 6am–noon and 3:30–8:30pm.

Thanjavur Palace Complex & Art Gallery Built as the home of the Nayak rulers, the 16th-century Royal Palace has fallen into a state of minor ruin and could be struck from your itinerary but for the impressive Thanjavur Art Gallery (daily 10am–1pm and 2–5pm; admission Rs 20). The gallery, housed in the Nayak hall of the palace, has an eclectic collection of stone and bronze idols, mostly from the Chola period (8th–9th c.), and the sensuous casts of particularly Parvati are certainly worth admiring. Within the palace, you should also climb the narrow and tricky steps of the arsenal tower for views of the complex and the entire city, including Brihadeshvara Temple. Inside 17th-century Durbar Hall, built by the Marathas, who ruled after the Nayaks, is a throne canopy decorated in the distinctive mirror-glass Thanjavur style. Next to the art gallery is Saraswati Mahal Library, which houses a collection of rare books—including Sanskrit works and 18,623 palm-leaf manuscripts—assembled by the Maratha ruler Serfoji II, who ruled until 1832 and was a great patron of the arts. A small museum inside the library has a few exhibits worth looking at, including a macabre explicitly illustrated 1804 manuscript entitled “Punishments of China.”

Tip: Opposite the entrance to the Palace Complex, on East Main Street, are a couple of worthwhile shopping destinations: Kandiva Heritage (No. 97; 04362/231293) deals in Thanjavore paintings, wooden carvings, and antique and reproduction bronze items, and is well worth a stroll through, but we challenge you to leave empty-handed from Tanjore Collections (No. 105; 04362/234117;www.cottageartsemporium.com), a two-story emporium stuffed with goods from all over India. Bargain hard.

East Main Rd. (2km/1 1⁄4 miles NE of the temple). For information about Thanjavur Art Gallery, contact the Art Gallery Society ( 04362/239-823). Palace Rs 50. Camera and video more. Art Gallery Rs 20. Daily 9am–1pm and 3–6pm.

Chettinad Region

Known as the Marwadis of the South, the Nattukottai Chettiars were a powerful trading community that rose to prominence during the 19th and 20th centuries, specializing in money lending and wholesale trading with the East. While not particularly ostentatious, the Nattukottai Chettiars gave expression to their immense wealth by building massive fortified mansions and temples in the rural villages that spawned them. Their fortunes waned somewhat after World War II, with the new generation of ambitious Chettiars seeking their own pots of gold in the cities of India and beyond, and the majority of these mansions are now padlocked and empty for much of the year, opened only for the occasional marriage ceremony or Bollywood film shoot. Some of the larger homes are opened for visitors keen to view the teak and stone-pillared courtyards, ornate doorways and ceilings, crystal chandeliers, and dusty portraits of the powerful patriarchs who once ruled these now-empty corridors. If you see only one, make it the Chettinad Palace, the family home of Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiar, noted educator and business magnate, who built this most