THANJAVUR

also called Tanjore, town, administrative headquarters of Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu state, southeastern India, in the Cauvery Delta. An early Cola capital from the 9th to the 11th century, it was important during the Vijayanagar, Maratha, and British periods. It is now a tourist centre; attractions are the Brhadisvara Cola temple, a Vijayanagar fort, and the palace of Sarfoji, a Maratha prince. Industries include cotton mills, traditional handloom weaving, and the manufacture of vinas (South Indian stringed instruments). The town has eight colleges affiliated with the University of Madras. Thanjavur district (about 3,205 sq mi [8,300 sq km] in area) occupies part of the flat, fertile Cauvery Delta, one of the most important rice-growing areas in India, terminating in the southeast at Point Calimere at the confluence of Palk Strait and the Bay of Bengal. The delta is traversed by innumerable channels of the Cauvery, linked by irrigation canals, some of them used for at least 10 centuries. Chief crops of the district are rice, sugar, and peanuts (groundnuts); grain processing is a significant industry. Several towns have developed, the largest of which are Thanjavur, Kumbakonam, and Nagappattinam. Pop. (1981) town, 184,015; district, 4,063,545.