The home of Carnatic music, musical instruments, dance and traditional handicrafts. The Thanjavur is famous for the Brahadeeswarar Temple which is the World Heritage Site. The temple, constructed more than a thousand years ago by the Chola King Raja Raja, is an architectural marvel of Dravidian temple architecture. The 64 metres tall, 14 tiered pyramid shaped vimanam rises from a square base is topped by a huge monolithic cupola carved out from a 81 tonne block of granite that was installed with the aid of a 6 km long inclined plane. The tower is a testimony to the engineering skill of the Chola architects who planned its construction in such a way that shadow of the cupola never falls on the ground. The Art Gallery and the Saraswathi Mahal Library in the Palace are also well known places of interest.

Tiruchirapalli (Trichy) – Tiruchirapalli is known for its Rock Fort Temple is one of the oldest in the world approx. 3800 million years old, located at a height of over 83 metres, situated on the banks of the Kaveri River. The attraction is not for fort itself but the temple at the summit. 344 steps hewn out of rock lead to the top where are the inscriptions dating back to the 3^rd century BC. Other renowned temple is Lord Ranganathaswamy Temple (Srirangam), surrounded by the Kaveri water is a 600 acre island town enclosed with the seven walls on the gigantic Sri Ranganathaswamy temple. There are no less than 22 gopurams, one of which is the tallest in India. The 72m high 13 tiered gopuram dominates the landscape for miles around.