Tiruchirappalli

Another example of exotic Indian holidays, Tiruchirappalli is situated in the center of Tamil Nadu, on the banks of the Cauvery river. It is 320 km from Madras and 150 km from Madurai. It was a Chola citadel during the Sangam Age and was also briefly ruled by the Pallavas and the Pandyas. Today, Trichy is a blend of history, a pilgrim center and a thriving commercial city. It is on the list of all major Indian tour packages.




HISTORY

The most famous landmark of this bustling town is the Rock Fort Temple, a spectacular monument perched on a massive rocky outcrop which rises abruptly from the plain to tower over the old city. It is reached by a flight of steep steps cut into the rock and from its summit you get a fantastic view of the town plus its other main landmark, the Sri Tanganathaswamy Temple (Srirangam). Shrouded in a haze of coconut palms away to the north, Sri Tanganathaswamy is one of the largest and more interesting temple complexes in India, built on an island in the middle of the Cauvery River and covering a staggering 2.5 sq km! There is also another huge temple complex nearby – the Sri Jambukeshwara Temple.
Trichy itself has a long history going back to the centuries before the Christian era when it was a Chola citadel. In the 1st 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 decayed. Trichy 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 town and its fort, as its stands today, was built by the Nayaks of Madurai. It was one of the main centres around which the wars of the Carnatic were fought in the 18th century during the British –French struggle for supremacy in India.
Monuments aside, the city offers a good range of hotels and excellent local bus system, which doesn’t demand the strength of an ox and the skin of an elephant to use.

SRI RANGANATHASWAMY TEMPLE (Srirangam)
This superb temple complex at Srirangam, about three km from the Rock Fort, is surrounded by seven concentric walls with 21 gopurams and is probably the largest in India. Most of it dates from the 14th to 17th centuries, and many people have had a hand in its construction, including the Cheras, Pandyas, Cholas, Hoysalas and Vijayanagars. The largest gopuram in the first wall on the southern side (the main entrance) was completed as recently as 1987, and now measures astounding 73 metres.
The temple complex is very well preserved, with excellent carvings throughout and numerous shrines to various gods, through the main temple is dedicated to Vishnu. Even the Muslims are said to have prayed here after the fall of the Vijayanagar Empire. Non-Hindus are, of course, not allowed into the gold –topped sanctum, but this is no major loss since the whole place is fascinating, and non-Hindus can go as far as the sixth wall. Bazaars and Brahmins’ houses fill the space between the outer four walls, and you don’t have to take your shoes off.
An annual Car Festival is held here in January during which a decorated wooden chariot is pulled through the streets between the various walls. In mid –December, the Vaikunta Ekadasi, or Paradise Festival, takes place.

SRI JAMBUKESHWARA TEMPLE
The nearby Sri Jambukeshwara Temple is dedicated to Siva and has five concentric walls and seven gopurams. Its deity is a Siva lingam, submerged in water that comes from a spring in the sanctum sanctorum. Non-Hindus are not allowed in this part of the same time as the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple. It’s open daily between 6 am and 1 pm and between 4 and 9:30 pm.

ST.JOHN'S CHURCH
Trichy also has some interesting Raj-era monuments. Built in 1812, St John’s Church has louvred side doors, which can be opened to turn the church into an airy pavilion. It’s interesting for its setting cemetery. Rouse the doorkeeper to let you in.