Thanjavur district


Thanjavur District is one of the 38 districts of the state of Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. Its headquarters is Thanjavur. The district is located in the delta of the Cauvery River and is mostly agrarian. As of 2011, Thanjavur district had a population of 2,405,890 with a sex-ratio of 1,035 females for every 1,000 males.

Geography

The district is located at in Central Tamil Nadu bounded on the northeast by Mayiladuthurai district, on the east by Tiruvarur District, on the south by the Palk Strait of Bay of Bengal on the west by Pudukkottai District and Tiruchirappalli, small border with Cuddalore on the northeast and on the north by the river Kollidam, across which lie part of Tiruchirappalli, and Ariyalur districts.

Demographics

According to 2011 census, Thanjavur district had a population of 2,405,890 with a sex-ratio of 1,035 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 238,598 were under the age of six, constituting 121,949 males and 116,649 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 18.91% and.15% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the district was 74.44%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The district had a total of 605,363 households. There were a total of 974,079 workers, comprising 117,321 cultivators, 327,673 main agricultural labourers, 26,430 in house hold industries, 363,060 other workers, 139,595 marginal workers, 12,592 marginal cultivators, 87,688 marginal agricultural labourers, 4,770 marginal workers in household industries and 34,545 other marginal workers.

Economy

Agriculture

Thanjavur district lies in the Kaveri delta, the most fertile region in the state. The district is the main rice producing region in the state and hence known as the Rice Bowl of Tamil Nadu. The Kaveri River and its tributaries irrigate the district. Apart from paddy, farmers here grow coconut and sugarcane and it is the largest producer of coconut in Tamil Nadu.Being an agrarian economy, industrial growth in the district is mainly confined to agro-based industries. Many rice mills and oil mills are spread over the district.

Tourism

Great Living Chola Temples of Thanjavur

Thanjavur's Brihadisvara Temple, built by the Cholas and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the largest of its kind and also one of the finest examples of classical Dravidian architecture in the world.
Airavateswara temple in Darasuram near Kumbakonam has also been designated part of the same UNESCO World Heritage site and forms another major tourist attraction of the district.
The green paddy fields of the Kaveri river valley provide a picturesque setting for these and other important ancient monuments of the district.

Flora

The flora of Thanjavur was studied and documented in some detail by S.A Ganapathy for a doctoral thesis in 1992.

Cultural significance

Thanjavur is famous for the "Saraswathi veena", Thanjavur art plates, Thanjavur oil paintings and Thalaiyatti Bommai.

Notable people