Tiruchirappalli,
situated on the banks of the
river Cauvery is the fourth
largest city in Tamil Nadu.
It was a citadel of the early
Cholas which later fell to the
Pallavas. Trichy is a fine blend
of tradition and modernity built
around the Rock Fort. Apart
from the Fort, there are several
Churches, Colleges and Missions
dating back to the 1760s. The
town and its fort, now in Trichy
were built by the Nayaks of
Madurai. This city has given
great Tamil scholars whose contributions
to the Tamil literature have
been very significant.
The most famous land mark of
this bustling town is the Rockfort
Temple, a spectacular monument
perched on a massive rocky out
crop which rises abruptly from
the plain to tower over the
old city. It was one of the
main centers around which the
wars of the Carnatic were fought
in the 18th century during the
British-French struggle for
supremacy in India. The city
is a thriving commercial centre
in Tamil Nadu and is famous
for artificial diamonds, cigars,
handloom cloth, glass bangles
and wooden and clay toys.
The Landmark Of The
City
The most famous landmark of
Tiruchirappalli is the Rock
Fort Temple, a spectacular monument
perched on a massive rocky out
crop which rises abruptly from
the plain to tower over the
old city.
History
Tiruchi itself has a long history
dating back to the centuries
before the Christian era when
it was a Chola citadel. During
the first millennium AD, it
changed hands between the Pallavas
and Pandyas many times before
being taken by the Cholas in
the 10th century AD. When the
Chola Empire finally declined,
Tiruchi passed into the hands
of the Vijayanagar kings of
Hampi and remained with them
until their defeat, in 1565
AD by the forces of the Deccan
Sultans.
The
city and its fort, as they
stand today, were built by
the Nayaks of Madurai. It
was one of the main centers
around which the wars of the
Carnatic were fought in the
18th century during the British-French
struggle for supremacy in
India.
Main Attractions of
Trichy
Viralimalai Sanctuary
: Viralimalai is a small town
situated at a distance of
30-km from Tiruchirappalli
and 40-km from Pudukkottai.
It is famous for its Murugan
temple and the Peacock sanctuary.
The town is bestowed with
a large number of wild peacocks,
which roam around the Murugan
temple.
Sittanavasal
: Located at a distance of
58-km from Trichy is Sittanavasal,
a site of an ancient Jain
monastery with fine fresco
paintings in a rock cave.
Many of them are typical of
the 9th century Pandyan period
and include exquisitely detailed
pictures of animals, fish,
ducks, people gathering lotuses
from a pond and two dancing
figures. There are also inscriptions
dating back to the 9th and
10th centuries. Fresco paintings
from the 7th century can be
seen on the ceiling of the
Ardhamandapam.
There
are many pre-historic burial
sites around Sittanavasal
and among the relics unearthed
are burial urns, cists and
Kurangupatarai.
Government Museum
: Situated at Thirukokarnam,
the museum is located near
the Pudukkottai station, at
a distance of 40 km from Trichy.
The rare collections in the
sections of Geology, Zoology,
Paintings, Anthropology, Epigraphy,Historical
Records, etc., are very interesting.
The museum is open on all
days except Mondays.
Kudumianmalai
: Kudumianmalai temple is
located at a distance of 25-km
from Trichy. The presiding
deity is Lord Sikhagireeswara.
There are beautiful sculptures
and a thousand pillar-hall
within the temple.
