Thanjavur was the capital city for the Chola dynasty, the Nayaks and the Marathas. The Maratha rule of Thanjavur started in the year 1676 CE, when Ekoji (the step-brother of Chhatrapati Shivaji, the great Deccan warrior and founder of the Maratha Empire) took control of Thanjavur in a bloodless coup from the Nayaks, their predecessors. The Marathas had limited military power, and blessed as Thanjavur was with the bounty of the Kaveri river, focussed their energies on patronising the arts and encouraging philosophers. Of its rulers, Serfoji II was one of its most illustrious and played a very significant role in developing the cultural landscape of Thanjavur as we know it today. The Maratha rule came to an end in the year 1855 when the last king Shivaji II died without leaving a male heir to the throne and the kingdom went into the hands of the British.

The Marathas are known to have nurtured several art forms, the Tanjore style of painting, oil paintings, metal plate making and embroidery on textiles as also the classical arts, theatre and literature. The greatest composers in Carnatic music, revered as the “Trinity”, Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama Sastry, were all connected to the Maratha court. The Saraswati Mahal Library, one among few medieval libraries existing in the world today, had its collections of books and manuscripts vastly enhanced by Serfoji II. The Marathas also encouraged architects and sculptors to build several ornate Chattrams (rest-cum-feeding houses), bridges and towers, and enlarged and renovated existing temples. Manora, a unique 8-storey tower erected by Serfoji II in honor of the English victory over Napoleon Bonaparte of France, is the only extant victory tower in honor of the English outside Europe. The tower is an engineering marvel.

Key Highlights:

• Visit the Saraswati Mahal Library, one among few medieval libraries existing in the world today, and Manora, a victory tower erected in honour of the English victory over Napoleon Bonaparte of France.
• Enjoy a traditional Maratha lunch.
• Visit the Maratha royal palace and get exclusive access to their private museum (subject to receiving permission).
• Thanjavur Painting or Plate making demonstration, a major craft of the Marathas.

The trip will be led by a subject matter expert from our panel. Our panel has experts who are historians, archaeologists, authors, architects, art historians, musicologists, naturalists, who are well known experts in their chosen field of work. They have written books, they speak often on national and international platforms, they write extensively in the leading newspapers and journals of the day and are conducting regular research in their field. More than anything they are good storytellers who are very passionate about their work and are only happy to share their knowledge with others.