Situated 55 Kms from Thanjavur at the head of the Cauvery delta is this ancient town of Tiruchirappalli often referred to as Trichy or Tiruchy for short. Once a bastion of the Chola dynasty centuries before Christ, it gained eminence under the Nayaks of Madurai, who built the fort and temple. It changed hands many a time and was with the Vijaynagar Emperors until their defeat by the Deccan Sultans in the 16th century AD.
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Trichy's landmark monument is the Rock Fort from where the wars of the Carnatic were waged in the 18th century during the British-French struggle for domination in India.
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Spread over vast area, transportation is essential to get from one place to another in Trichy. However, most of the hotels, restaurants, hotels, bus stand, railway station, Tourist office and GPO are in the cantonment area and within easy walking distance from one another. The Tourist office is on Williams Road and they have branch offices at the railway station and airport.
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The State Bank of India is on Dindigul Road. When shopping, artificial diamonds, cigars, wood, clay toys bangles and toys make good local buys. The Government Emporia - Poompuhar and the Khadi Kraft are good places to investigate.
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| General Information |
Area |
5,114 Sq.kms |
Population |
23,88,831 (2001 Census) |
Altitude |
78 metres |
Season |
Throughout the year |
Clothing |
Tropical |
Languages |
Tamil, English & Urdu. |
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| Climate |
Summer – Max:37.10º C, Min :36.40º C
Winter - Max :21.30º C, Min :20.60º C
Rainfall - 83.5 cm average
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| Places of Interest |
| Rock Fort |
This spectacular monument is perched 83 meters high up on a rocky out growth rising abruptly from the surrounding plains in the centre of the town. The Nayaks of Madurai used its naturally fortified position to their advantage at times of battle. The Vinayaka Temple at the summit is dedicated to Lord Ganesha. Although the climb is tough, the view is stunning and makes the trouble well worth the effort. There are several small shrines along the way up on this smooth rock face and the remains of a 1000 pillared hall destroyed in the 18th century. Further up at the end of the last flight of steps is the Sri Thayumanaswami Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The monument is open daily from 6am to 8pm but non-Hindus are not allowed into either of these temples.
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| SriRanganathaswamyTemple |
About 3Kms away from the Rock Fort on an island called Srirangam on the Cauvery River is this fascinating temple complex built in the 10th century. The temple complex is well preserved and spread over an area of over 60 hectares with seven concentric walls and 21 gopurams; it is one of the largest in India. The festival of Vaikunda Ekadasi held here annually in December/January attracts thousands of pilgrims. There is a small museum here containing sculptures, bronzes and plaques. South of the temple is the Ammamandapam, a bathing ghat for the devotees.
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| SriJambukeshwaraTemple |
Dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, this temple has five concentric walls and seven gopurams. The temple is built around a Shiva lingam partly immersed in water that flows from a submerged spring in the sanctum sanctorum.
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| LourdesChurch |
Also known as the St. Joseph College Church the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes is one of the many Catholic Churches in Trichy, and was designed as a smaller version of the Basilica at Lourdes in southern France. It has an unusual and interesting altar made of sandalwood.
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| Natharvala Dargah |
Tomb of revered Muslim saint Hazrath Thable Alam Badusha, the dargah is continually flocked by devotees of all faith. It is an impressive building with a 20 meters high dome with pinnacles on its top and all four corners.
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| How To Reach |
Air: The airport is situated 8 kms from the city centre. The Indian Airlines office on Dindigul Road has flights connecting Trichy to Chennai. Air Lanka office at the Femina hotel, operates weekly flights to Colombo
Rail: Trichy is an important railway junction on the Chennai to Madurai and Chennai to Rameshwaram lines. It is very well connected to all important railway stations in the south India.
Road: Connected by a good network of roads, Trichy ha an excellent bus service and advance ticket booking is computerized. Apart from buses run by the State Transport Corporation, there are several private super deluxe buses connecting Trichy to Chennai and Bangalore.
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| Hotels in Tiruchirappalli |
Trichy has no shortage of hotels to accommodate the thousands of pilgrims that visit the town; dozens of pretty characterless places cluster around the bus stands and offer good value for money, keeping tariffs just below the Rs.200/- mark to avoid incurring luxury taxes. There are also a few more comfortable up market hotels. |
Hotels: Jenney’s Residency,Femina Hotel,Sangam Hotel, Hotel Mathura,Ramyas Hotels Private Ltd,Kaunchana’s Hotels, Hotel Mayas, Hotel Gajapria,Hotel Aanand,Hotel Temple Tower. |
Trichy Tourism
