Man Receiving Elephant's Blessing In Front Of Brihadishvara Temple, Thanjavur, India, 2008 (photo)

Thanjavur or Tanjore or Stanmore, its former name, is a city located in Tamil Nadu that was once the capital of the Chola dynasty; the town counts 93 odd temples, the most famous being the Brihadishwara Temple, also known as the ‘Big Temple’; constructed by Raja Raja Chola I during the 11th century and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Monument, the temple is dedicated to Shiva; the pillared halls, the gopurams (tower at the entrance of the temple), shrines, the statue of Nandi (mount of Shiva) and an outstanding monolithic granite block on top of the tower make this place a marvel; the city has other attractions such as the Maratha Palace complex built around 1550 AD by the Maratha dynasty and the Nayaks of Madurai or the museum that houses a collection of bronze statues, a art that makes the city famous as others of its production (carpets, jewellery music instruments, silk); founded in a fertile delta, the town’s main activity is agriculture