Thanjavur Maratha Palace

Thanjavur Maratha Palace
Thanjavur Maratha Palace Complex
Interactive map of the Thanjavur Maratha Palace area
General information
LocationThanjavur, Tanjore region, India

The Thanjavur Maratha Palace, known locally as Aranmanai (« the Palace » in Tamil), is the official residence of the Bhonsle family that ruled Tanjore from 1674 to 1855.[1] Located at the heart of the historical city of Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, this palace has served as the residence of the successive rulers of the kingdom from at least the 16th century.

History

The Thanjavur Maratha palace was originally constructed by the rulers of Thanjavur Nayak kingdom. After the fall of the Thanjavur Nayak kingdom, it served as the official residence of the Thanjavur Marathas. When most of the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom was annexed by the British Empire in 1799, the Thanjavur Marathas continued to hold sway over the palace and the surrounding fort or walled city.[2]The Bhonsle family continued to hold on to the palace even after the last king, Shivaji of Thanjavur.[3]

Constituents

The palace complex consists of the Sadar Mahal Palace, the queen's courtyard and the Durbar Hall. The Royal Palace Museum contains a splendid collection of Chola bronzes. The Raja Serfoji Memorial Hall and the Royal Palace Museum are situated in the Sadar Mahal Palace. There is also a small bell tower. The Saraswathi Mahal Library is situated with the Thanjavur palace complex. The Chandramouleeswarar temple also is located within the premises.[4][5]

See also

Citations

  1. ↑ Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam (ed.). India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 185.
  2. ↑ Maratha Rajas of Tanjore. Government Press. 1912. pp. 1–20.
  3. ↑ Vriddhagirisan, V. (1942). The Nayaks of Tanjore. Annamalai University. pp. 1–30.
  4. ↑ Karkar, S.C. (2009). The Top Ten Temple Towns of India. Kolkota: Mark Age Publication. p. 80. ISBN 978-81-87952-12-1.
  5. ↑ Madras District Gazetteers: Tanjore. Government of Madras. 1906. pp. 155–175.
Wikimedia Commons logo
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Thanjavur Maratha Palace.

References

This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.