Trichy, Tiruchirapalli, Trichy Information, Trichy in Tamil Nadu

Tiruchirapalli, also known as Trichy, Tiruchy and Thiruchi, is only about 53 kms from Thanjavur. Trichy is situated on the banks of the Kaveri river and the fourth largest city in Tamil Nadu. Trichy has always been a seat of power over the centuries. It was one of the main centers around which the wars of the Carnatic were fought in the 18th century by the British and the French. Today, this city is a thriving commercial centre in Tamil Nadu. This city has given great Tamil scholars whose contributions to the Tamil literature have been very significant. This ancient city is famous for its architectural monuments and culture. The best time to visit Trichy is throughout the year, except in summers, when the days are very hot. Tamil and English are the main languages which are commonly spoken in Trichy.

History of Trichy

Trichy has a long history which goes back to pre-Christian era. During the first millennium, it changed hands from the Pallavas and the Pandyas when it was taken over by the Cholas in the 10th century. After the Chola rule, it fell into the hands of Vijayanagar rulers and then the Deccan Sultans. The English and the French also tried with their full strength to control this city.

Tourist Attractions in Trichy

The most important tourist attraction in Trichy is the Rock Fort Temple. This temple is a spectacular monument that is perched on a massive rock which rises abruptly from the plain to tower over the old city. The other tourist attractions in Trichy are the Srirangam Temple, Sri Jambukeshwar Temple, Thiruvanaikkaval and Narthamalai.

Rock Fort Temple
The Rock Fort Temple is situated right in the centre of the town and visible from all directions. This fort temple belongs to the 7th century and rises at a height of 83 metres from the plains to tower over the old city. The rock is one of the oldest in the world, approximately 3800 million years, which makes it as old as the rocks of Greenland and older than the Himalayas. The main attraction here is not the fort, of which very little remains, but the temple at the summit. To reach the temple, one has to climb 437 steps. The fort played an important part during the Carnatic wars and according to an inscription, mainly contributed to lay the foundations of the British Empire in India. The Uchipillaiyar Koil, a temple dedicated to Lord Vinayaka is located on the top of the rock. This temple offers a wonderful view of the city,

Kaveri river, the massive Ranganatha Temple and the Sri Jambukeswar Temple. A flight of steps leads to the Mathrubutheswarar of Thayumanaswami temple, dedicated to Lord Siva where the lingam is a projection of the rock itself.

Srirangam Temple
The Sri Ranganatha Swami Temple or Srirangam Temple is another important landmark of the city of Trichy. This temple is one of the largest and most interesting temple complexes in India. This temple is built on the Srirangam island in the middle of the Kaveri river and covers an area of 2.5 square kms. The main temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Even muslims are said to have prayed here after the fall of the Vijayanagar Empire. Today, non Hindus are not allowed into the gold-topped sanctum, but they are allowed into the sixth wall. It is surrounded by seven concentric walls and has 21 magnificent gateway towers (gopurams) and a 1000-pillared hall with beautiful carvings. The 22nd gateway tower which is about 236 feet high, has been recently completed and is the tallest temple tower in Asia.

Thiruvanaikkaval
Thiruvanaikkaval is one of the most revered temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. This temple is one of the Panchabhoota Stalams that signifies the 5 elements like wind (Kalahasti), water (Tiruvanaikka), fire (Tiruvannamalai), earth (Kanchipuram) and space (Chidambaram). The water is represented by an undying natural spring in the sanctum. There is said to have been a forest of Jambu trees near the Chandrateertha tank (filled with the water of the Kaveri) here and Shiva is said to have appeared under one of the trees as a Shiva Lingam. According to the legend, the two devotees of Shiva were born under the influence of a curse as a white elephant and a spider. The elephant worshipped Shiva with flowers and brought water in its trunk, and hence the place was known as Tiru Aanaikka.

Sri Jambukeshwar Temple
The Sri Jambukeshwar Temple is built on the Srirangam island in the middle of the Kaveri river. This temple is surrounded by 5 concentric walls and has 7 gopurams. This temple has some very beautiful carvings.

Narthamalai
Narthamalai has some of the oldest structural stone temples, built by the Mutharaiyars. This temple has six large, skillfully carved statues of Lord Vishnu in the central hall. A 9th century Pallava cave temple dedicated to Lord Shiva lies to the south, and in front of this is the Vijayalaya Choliswaran temple. Vijayalaya was the first Chola ruler and as such this Shiva temple is one of the earliest Chola temple. The artistry can be seen in the beautiful figures of the dancers in front of the vimana, the elegantly carved dwara-palakas and the figures of other Gods.

Shopping in Trichy

Trichy is famous for its cigars and cheroots. Some of the other famous items of Trichy are brassware, handloom textiles, pith models of temples and the Rock Fort, wood and clay toys, jewellery, ornamental carved brass and copper plates inlaid with silver (Tanjore plates), silks, carpets and musical instruments, artificial diamonds, glass bangles.

How to reach here

By Air:
Trichy is an international airport and receives and operates flights to Colombo. Indian Airlines flights connect it to Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Bangalore, etc.

By Rail:
There are direct rail services to Chennai, Madurai, Thanjavur, Rameshwaram, Tirupathi.

By Road:
Excellent roads connect Trichy with all the major towns of South India like Trichy and Coimbatore (for Ooty), Madurai, Rameshwaram, Kanyakumari, Chennai. It is about 140 km. from madurai, 302 km. from Ooty and 320 km. from Madras.

To know the distances from Trichy click here.