Thanjavur : A Cultural History

In this fascinating study, in words and images, Pradeep Chakravarthy and Vikram Sathyanathan narrate the cultural history of Thanjavur—starting from its early days of grandeur during the Chola Empire when the Chola ruler Raja Raja I built the Rajarajeswaram temple, now known as the Brihadeeswara temple, which celebrates its 1000th year of consecration in 2010. They weave together the known and unknown histories of the various rulers—the Cholas, the Nayaks, the Marathas, and the British—and the Big Temple into a rich tapestry of cultural heritage that is Thanjavur. They reveal to readers the treasure house of the Sarasvati Mahal Library and lead them into the narrow lanes, or sandhus, where the painters who created the now-famous Thanjavur style lived alongside bangle sellers, textile merchants, perfumers, and the devadasis.