Thanjavur Royal Palace and Art Gallery Tamil Nadu

One of the most popular ways to spend a royal day-out in Thanjavur is to rush to Thanjavur Royal Palace and Art Gallery. Reckoned to be one of the oldest museums in Tamilnadu, Thanjavur Palace, locally esteemed as ‘Aranmanai’, was originally erected by the rulers of Thanjavur Nayak Dynasty. After the demise of Thanjavur Dynasty, the palace, then became the official residence of Thanjavur Maratha, and hence, it is also known as Thanjavur Maratha Palace. But leaving all the history behind, this place now serves as a leading art gallery and museum in Thanjavur and is a home to opulent ancient paintings, items, images, and sculptures of the Chola, Pallava, Pandya, and Nayak epochs. Apart from all this, the star attraction of Thanjavur Palace is the spectacular bronze sculptures dating back 9th, 13th, and 16th centuries that throws an insight of the history of the city. The place has seven different sections to explore. First in your tour is Royal Palace Museum, where you get to savour the sights of various sculptures, elephant bells, weaponry, and headgears of the King. Second is Maharaja Serfoji Memorial Hall, which commemorates the King Serfoji II. As you move forward, the next stopover is the Mahratta Darbar Hall, where the impressive interior awaits to fill your heart with some resplendent ancient beauties. The passage then next lead you to an old library where a larger chunk of Serfoji II’s ancient scriptures, manuscripts, and books are out there on a display. The remaining sections to explore is the Nayak Palace Courtyard, which is a home to various bronzes and sculptures.

Timings

Thursday to Tuesday (Wednesday is Closed): 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Highlights of the Museum

• Ancient Scriptures
• Bronzes
• Weaponry
• Manuscripts
• Elephant Bells
• Weaponry