8 Fascinating Facts About Thanjavur, The Rice Bowl Of Tamil Nadu

1. Brihadeeswara Temple

[{"selector":"#anim-1b1c09f6-434c-4cee-aa6e-f238f44895cd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c3d8a805-36b4-4075-9bfa-94f6d604082a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 225.80246%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The Brihadeeswara Temple's 80-tonne capstone was transported up a 6.7km ramp using elephants and an ingenious pulley system. Credits: Unsplash

2. Thanjavur Palace

[{"selector":"#anim-86b54f1b-a336-47c2-a456-dfc67417009d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-702e8065-fcc8-4db0-9f8f-23a8da4afa55","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 181.56760%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Hidden musical pillars in Thanjavur Palace produce distinct notes when gently tapped, with their acoustic engineering still baffling scientists. Credits: Unsplash

3. 30,000 palm leaf texts

[{"selector":"#anim-1f893664-c558-4954-9b90-848b2cd08b9d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4ea1a7fa-c39e-461a-8789-26edbc8f0e1c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 672.46900%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The palace houses Asia's largest manuscript library, with over 30,000 palm leaf texts dating back to the 3rd century BCE. Credits: Unsplash

4. The Thanjavur Doll

[{"selector":"#anim-a5c16223-7029-470f-952e-594c1f6c731e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3eb9de10-019f-4847-ab4c-fbc347e63952","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 206.91356%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The Thanjavur Doll, unique to the region, maintains perfect balance due to a mysterious internal weight distribution technique lost to time. Credits: Unsplash

5. 40 interconnected tanks

[{"selector":"#anim-4c24412b-3f24-4696-a187-84eda480caf9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2e147f75-57a9-469e-a7dd-6eb76bbafd64","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 673.58009%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The city's ancient water harvesting system includes a network of 40 interconnected tanks that still prevent flooding during monsoons. Credits: Unsplash

6. World's first 5-metals alloy

[{"selector":"#anim-8ba5ea83-1293-49ae-b3c6-f1e6caba509a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c48f1367-625d-4e59-8835-cdbff1b4d23c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 671.35790%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Local artisans created the world's first five-metals alloy (Pancha Loha), used exclusively for temple idols. Credits: Unsplash

7. Palace's talking corridor

[{"selector":"#anim-59320d94-0b32-45e8-9d8f-4ed20012e3e0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d84251e5-23b2-476a-98b0-fcc89215d6f2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 682.07083%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The palace's talking corridor can transmit whispers clearly over 200 feet due to its peculiar architectural acoustics. Credits: Unsplash

8. Thanjavur painters

[{"selector":"#anim-f06a50f1-ea22-475c-977f-bd8aa5333656","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5aba552a-390e-4388-8596-69cf80d989e1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 205.80240%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Thanjavur painters historically used crushed diamonds and precious gems to create their signature glittering effect in paintings. Credits: Unsplash

[{"selector":"#anim-a3bc06f5-f448-4bb5-bbf4-a2ba16619098","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-76f8279e-16f8-4e76-b9ed-c7056b508415","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 2186.97172%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Have you ever been to Thanjavur? Credits: Unsplash