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The former palace of the Nayaks of Thanjavur, once viceroys
of the Vijayanagara rulers and later hereditary rulers, is a wonderful and extravagant
piece of architecture, built in 1600. The huge enclosed compound encompasses
a complex which includes the Art Gallery, the Saraswati Library and the Sangeetha
Sabha or Music Hall.
A gigantic tower, (the arsenal, decorated vith bands of arches forms the external
acade. One enters into a hall which is the sculpture gallery where examples
of iuth Indian stone sculpture dating from le Pallava to the Nayak period are
exhibited. Some of the unique pieces are Gaja Samhara, the slayer of demons
(Chola), a Tirupurantarar, Shiva who slayed three demons, an early Pallava Brahma
and a huge Buddha from the Vijayanagara period.
Frescoes, painted a hundred years ago in the glass painting style of Tanjore
adorn the walls of the Durbar Hall, while on a stage stands the marble statue
of the Maratha King, Serfogi, From a magnificent bronze collection the earliest
and smallest date to the Pallava period while the most important are Chola.
Sixteen great Natarajas depict the various stages of the cosmic dance. An outstanding
piece is a 12th century Nataraja from Tiruviddaimandin, in which an absence
of ornamentation highlights its clean and perfect lines. Other remarkable pieces
are Sundaramurthi Narayan (10th - llth century), Parvati (14th century), a Somaskundar
from Pattiswaram, the static but calm Mahavishnu (llth century), a rusted but
beautiful Venugopal, Krishna playing the flute and Rukmini (16th century), two
fine statues of Vinadhara Dakshinamurthi, Shiva after the destruction playing
the veena (7th-8th century), Kalyansundaram (llth century) Bhikshatanar or Shiva
as a beggar, a snake coiled around his waist holding a begging bowl and damru
with a Rajapaliyan hound at his heels, dating to the 13th regnal year ofRajaraja
Chola (1040) and Parvati and Rishabhavahana, Shiva reclining on a "bull,
from his 26th regnal year.
Thanjavur Art Gallery
Palace Buildings
Thanjavur 613 009
Timings: 9.00 am to 1.00 pm 3.00 pm to 6.00 pm
Closed on some festival days and government holidays.
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