Thanjavur Maratha Palace

Built in 14th century, the palace is in ruins and apparently it’s in a neglected state. It’s the same case about the Saraswathi mahal library and Durbar hall inside the palace ground. One part of it is a govt girl’s school and other side is govt fire and safety department. There’s a museum inside the palace building featuring some artefacts.

It’s high time that the authorities should be vigilant about protecting historical and cultural heritage sites the it should be protected. Visitors are scribbling on the walls and the palace is unattended. As a keralite who has visited several well known palaces in kerala, this is so unacceptable. The sheer negligence is showing everywhere.

One of the famous palace in Tamilnadu. Located at very near Thanjavur Old bus stand (Walkable distance only). Best place to bring the children. Because they can know about history. Here, you can see the ancient sculptures, Paintings, Ancient Weapons etc. Frequent Town buses available to reach old bus stand from New Bus Stand and Railway Station.

What a fantastic place that has fantastic collection of old manuscripts, statues, paintings, pottery, armaments and figurines. A must visit place for kids...

The palace was built by the Thanjavur Nayak dynasty, the rulers of Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu during the 16th and 17th centuries and later came under the Maratha Empire. Maratha Palace or Thanjavur Palace are complexes spread over a compound. You can enter the palace by taking a ticket of 50 rupees. The Thanjavur Maratha Palace Complex, known locally as Aranmanai, is the official residence of the Bhonsle family who ruled over the Tanjore region from 1674 to 1855. hanjavur’s royal palace is a mixed bag of ruin and renovation, superb art and random royal paraphernalia. The maze-like complex was constructed partly by the Nayaks who took over Thanjavur in 1535, and partly by a local Maratha dynasty that ruled from 1676 to 1855. The palace is noted for its huge halls, spacious corridors, observation and arsenal towers, and a shady courtyard. This palace is a must-visit place for history buffs to understand the history and lifestyle of its rulers as part of Thanjavur tour. The palace complex consists of the Sadar Mahal Palace, the queen's courtyard and the Durbar Hall. The Royal Palace Museum contains a splendid collection of Chola bronzes. The Raja Serfoji Memorial Hall and the Royal Palace Museum are situated in the Sadar Mahal Palace. There is also a small bell tower. The Saraswathi Mahal Library is situated with the Thanjavur palace complex.

This Thanjavur Maratha palace is nice one with good museum and library. Very good and nicely sculptured Nataraja and Parvati idols from 10-13 th centuries could be seen. In main hall, beautiful ancient painting work attracts and catchy. Very nicely preserved palace properties could be seen here.
How man's face evolved from different animal faces painting work is so splendid.

Highly recommended place for historical things. Old age statues are kept in this museum.

"The Tanjore Maratha Palace is a mesmerizing testament to architectural brilliance and cultural heritage. Its timeless beauty, intricate designs, and historical significance make it an awe-inspiring destination. The preservation of such grandeur offers a captivating journey through history, showcasing remarkable artistry that continues to enthrall visitors."

A Short note of Thanjavur maratha palace:

Thanjavur maratha palace is popularly called the Thanjavur Aranmanai.

Thanjavur maratha palace was originally constructed by the rulers of Thanjavur nayakkar kingdom. After the fall of Thanjavur nayakkar kingdom, it is served as the official residence for Thanjavur maratha.

Thanjavur palace complex is a tourist attraction which houses three separate venues:
●The palace
●The art gallery
●The manuscript library (Saraswathi Mahal)

A Short note of Saraswathi Mahal, which is a house of Thanjavur maratha palace:

Saraswathi Mahal is considered as one of the oldest historical libraries in India 🇮🇳. Saraswathi Mahal also as a museum. The library has more than a million manuscripts in languages like
● TAMIL
● SANSKRIT
● MARATHI
● TELUGU
● MANIPRAVALAM

A must to see & revisit the history of Great Maratha dynasty of stepbrother of Shivaji maharaj Vyankoji Bhosale while in Thanjavur.

The walls are spoilt by visitors but the palace itself is beautiful. One entry fee allows you to visit 3-4 places and it would take easily 1.5-2 hours to cover all the places.

A palace cum museum where traditions, original manuscripts, idols, paintings and very well preserved and being shown to tourists in a very systematic manner. Although photography is not permitted inside museum but rest everything is effort full. One documentary is also being shown to visitors. However the very bad thing is the tendency of writing names of lovebirds on the wall of palace. Something should be done to stop it.

Renovation work is going on. But they try to preserve it as much. You can see collection of old coins from various countries as well as from local regions. Old utensils, weapons is also on display. People who love heritage can pay a visit.

A good historic place to understand about the period when the Marathas ruled around Thanjavur. It is a large place to visit that has a library, a museum, an audio-visual centre, a palace and many more.
There is a ticket counter at the main entrance that charges Rs.50 and covers the entry for most of the places. Vehicle parking is extra. Covering all the places here would take around 2-3 hours.
Many of the places here have been repaired recently and some are still under repair. Nonetheless, worth a visit!

The Great Thanjavur Palace, known locally as Aranmanai.

Nowadays, it is the official residence of the Bhonsle family who ruled Thanjavur (Tanjore) from 1674 to 1855AD.

It's worth to visit as a magnificent ancient architecture at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. Have a nominal entrance fee of ₹50 only. One can take cameras at a fee of ₹30 only. It is open for the visitors from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. IST, and remains closed during lunch hours. The Royal Palace stays open every day.

Indian culture is based on many things available, need one day time for all places to visit. Very silent and very neatly available, Saraswati Mahal library has many old books available in this place, and saraboji Maharaj Raj Raja dharbar sees very excitement. Today my favourite place

It’s a great place to visit, you’ll need 3-4 hrs minimum to have a complete round. Plan the audio visual museum properly it’s played in particular time like sessions.
To know the history of the place and also everything about Tanjore…

This place used to be the palace of maratha emperor Raja serfoji.

Loved alot 😍
• must visit place after brihadeeswara temple in thanjavur
• The art work,library,bell tower is under construction when i visited,royal palace museum,darbar hall these are the most to cover inside.
• great ancient sculptures
Weapons,coins,elephant goads,escape tunnel,ornaments etc many other things in museum feels surprised coz there everything represents their lifestyle.
• In darbar hall the interior has fine art work which represents indian mythology
Entire palace can be covered in 1-2 hrs
• beside saraswathi mahal,a video will be played in small theatre which shows the greatness of thanjavur DON'T MISS IT.
• Requires maintainance

The Martha King and his family lived in the royal Tanjore palace.

Fortunate to witness this majestic palace, this entire palace is a gold for history lovers.

Thanjavur is a district in Tamil Nadu, highly popular for its worldwide famous temples which stand today as testimony of fantastic architectural skills of the ancient Tamils. Thanjavur has also carved a name for itself in the field of art, thanks to the traditional Thanjavur paintings. The Royal Palace of Thanjavur is a primary place of interest in Tamil Nadu, since it hosts myriad primeval items including the Thanjavur paintings, statues from the Pallava, Chola, Pandiya and Nayaka periods. It is locally known as ‘Aranmanai’ and sometimes referred to as the Maratha Palace Complex. The palace was constructed by the Nayakas and then taken over by the Marathas.

Do not miss to watch the AV displays in the cinema hall. These are played on an hourly basis from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and highlight the history of Thanjavur.

The Maratha Palace Complex comes under the ownership of the Bhonsle family, who once ruled Thanjavur.
The first section of the Royal Palace is the Royal Palace museum. This museum is a blast from the past and showcases a wide range of items used by the royals of yesteryears. You get to see royal headgears, weapons, beautiful sculptures and much more.
The museum is followed by the Maharaja Serfoji Memorial Hall, and this commemorates the Maratha king Serfoji, the second.
The Saraswati Mahal Library Museum is a temple of knowledge and it hosts several manuscripts, printed materials on various subjects, dictionaries, atlases and a whole lot of grand old books.
The Art Gallery and the Nayak Mahal have wide fame, for their bronze statues and stone carvings.

A dead whale's skull is kept inside Arsenal tower section .Arsenal Tower is a structure, which attracts the visitors to Thanjavur even as the Tower of the Big Temple does. This Arsenal Tower is 190 feet height with eight storeys and was constructed in 1855 CE during the period of Marathas.

Entrance Fee: The entrance fee is 50 INR. Cameras are allowed at a fee of 30 INR.( Some art gallery section photography prohibited)

Visiting Time: Royal Palace stays open every day, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and remains closed during lunch hours. The Royal Palace is closed on public holidays.
Visit Duration: Two hours, approximately

Vehicle parking &Toilet facilities available here.

Thanjavur junction railway station is just 1.3km away from the Thanjavur Palace complex. Auto- Taxi service available here.