Tiruchirappalli,
General Information
Common Name:TrichyOther Name:TrichyDistrict:TiruchirappalliState:Tamil NaduCountry:IndiaArea:23.26 Sq. Km.Language Spoken:Tamil and EnglishLong Distance Code:+91-431Importance:Best Time To Visit:October to MarchDescription:
Trichy has witnessed a long history of various rulers, right from the Pallavas, the Pandyans to the Chola dynasty, With the decline of the Chola dynasty it was passed on to the Vijayanagar kings of Hampi until their defat to the Sultan of Deccan. Famous for Handloom products and artificial diamonds, Trichy is the district headquarter and has a lot to attarct the tourists from the world over.Location:
Situated on the banks of River Kaveri, Trichy is around 320 kms from the state capital of Tamil Nadu.
Viralimalai is a small town situated at a distance of 30-km from Tiruchirappalli and 40-km from Pudukkottai. It is famous for its Murugan temple and the Peacock sanctuary. The town is bestowed with a large number of wild peacocks, which roam around the Murugan temple.
Situated at Thirukokarnam, the museum is located near the Pudukkottai station, at a distance of 40 km from Trichy. The rare collections in the sections of Geology, Zoology, Paintings, Anthropology, Epigraphy, Historical Records, etc., are very interesting. The museum is open on all days except Mondays.
St. John's Church is the earliest Church of Trichy built in 1812. It has louver doors, which open to convert it into an airy pavilion. The surrounding cemetery is also interesting.Avur Church located at a distance of 30-km from Trichy in Avur, is famous as an old church constructed by Father John Venantius Bouchet.
One of the popular pilgrimage sites of the Muslims in Tamil Nadu, the Nagore Dargah of Meeran Sahib Abdul Qadir Shahul Hamid Badshah is a spiritual shrine in South India. It has beautiful domed arches and lovely minarets. The golden dome building houses three tombs in three separate chambers. The doors of these chambers are made of silver. In the tombs lay buried the mortal remains of Meeran Sahib, his son Syed Mohammed Yusuf and his daughter-in-law. The most unique thing about this dargah are the Hindu rituals which are followed here, a fine example of harmonious co-existence. The Dargah is also visited by Hindus and is a fine example of the harmonious co-existence of Hindu - Muslim communities.
Around 5 kms from Trichy is the holy town of Srirangam famous for its temples. The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is at Sri Rangam Island, in the middle of the Cauvery River. This temple was built by various dynasties including the Cheras, Pandyas, Cholas, Hoysalas and the Vijayanagar Empire between 13th and 18th centuries. The temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu has seven concentric walls and 22 Gopurams has a north to south orientation. It is also famous as a centre for religious philosophy and learning. Situated 2-km east of Srirangam, is this beautiful Jambukeswara Temple dedicated to Lord
Shiva. It is named after an elephant as the legend says that an elephant would worship the Lord here, daily. Installed under an ancient Jambu tree, the lingam is partially submerged by water and meant to represent God incarnate as Water. The architecture of this temple is excellent and far better than that of the Sri Rangam Island.
The Rock Fort temple complex in Tiruchirappalli is a collection of three temples - the Manikka Vinayakar temple at the foot of the hill, the Uchhi Pillayar Koyil at the top of the hill and the Taayumaanavar Koyil (Shivastalam) on the hill. This Shivastalam is a rock cut temple on a hill and is the most prominent landmark in Tiruchirappalli that can be reached by a flight of steps on the way to the famous Ucchi Pillayar temple.