Tourist Spots in and around Trichy

Tiruchirappalli City, commonly known as Trichy is the fourth largest city of Tamilnadu State in India.

The main and the most popular place of tourist attraction in Trichy is the Rockfort (Malaikkottai) Temple, which is also a very important religious shrine for Hindus.

The Rock Fort Temple complex in Trichy is a collection of the following 3  temples:

• Manikka Vinayakar Temple at the foot of the hill,
• Uchhi Pillaiyar Kovil at the top of the hill and
• Thayumaanavar Kovil on the hill top.

There is a Hundred Pillar Hall in the temple.

Rockfort Temple, a  ‘Shivastalam’/Abode of Lord Shiva is a rock cut temple built  on a hill and is the most remarkable landmark of Trichy.

The Trichy Rock Top Temple / Uchi Pillaiyar Koil in Tamil can be reached by a flight of 437 steep steps made of stones.

The total height of the Rockfort Temple is 250 feet..

Except the steps there is no other means, like winch or lift for reaching the top of the Rockfort(Malaikkotai). From the top of Rockfort  you can have a panoramic look of the Trichy city below and Srirangam Island and the towers of Srirangam temple and the tower of Thiruvanikovil temple on the other bank of Cauvery river.

The road passing along the Rockfort entrance is called the ‘Small Bazaar Street’ and the road opposite the Rockfort entrance is called the ‘Big Bazaar’.

The ‘Big Bazaar Steet’ and the ‘Small Bazaar Street’ of Trichy near Rockfort are having the  city’s main ‘Textile Bazaar’, with popular Textiles Show Rooms, including ‘Trichy Saradhas, Thailas, Ananthas etc.

in the roads leading to the Rockfort many Jewellery Shops and Vessels Shops are functioning with crowds throughout the year and especially during festival seasons like ‘Deepavali’.

During Deepavali festival the crowd will be very huge in the roads leading to the Rockfort and the vehicle traffic will be stopped in the road and only a thick crowd will be making purchases of new clothes for Deepavali.

You can enter the Main Bazaar called “Sinnakadai Veedhi”/Small Bazaar, through a large gate of the old Trichy City, called the “Main Guard Gate”.

The Teppakulam near the Rockfort/Malaikkottai is one of the biggest artificial tanks in Tamilnadu.

Every year “Teppam Float Festival’ is celebrated in a very grand manner.

Due to frequent suicides by jumping into the tank, all the four sides of the tank are covered by wired fence.

There is a boating facility in the northern bank of Teppakulam.

The maintenance of boating must be improved to have a better recreation to the tourists.A Government Museum is located at ‘Rani Mangammal Mahal’ near Town Hall /Super Bazaar of Trichy.

The museum has the collection of several cultures of Mahavir, Buddha and Vishnu etc.

It also houses fossils, prehistory Megalithic, Paleolithic and Neolithic tools, earthen moulds for metals, inscriptions and palm leaf manuscripts, insects, reptiles, birds,mammals.

Ancient sculptures such as Thirumal crawling Krishna, Thirumal with consorts, Goddess Durga, Saint Manickavasagar, Nataraja and Chandra Sekharare on display.

In addition the museum has the collection of tribal model of Pachamalai hills, Thanjavur painting , Coins of India etc. The museum remains open on all week days except Fridays from 10 am to 5 pm.The broad and long bridge across Cauvery river connecting Trichy and Srirangam has off late become a Tourist spot, especially in the evenings, and lot of local people and tourists visit the Cauvery bridge and enjoy breeze and the spot has become a “Trichy Marina Beach” compensating the lack of a seashore/beach.Srirangam, also called “Boologa Vaigundam” an island surrounded by the rivers Cauvery and Kollidam(Colleron) situated at 7 km from Trichy, is the abode of the Hindu-Vaishnava Supreme Lord, Sri Ranganathar, the reclining form of Lord Vishnu.

The temple of Ranganathaswamy, the largest in India, is of particular veneration to all Hindus.

Srirangam is also listed as one of the Nava Graha Sthalas, or temples representing the nine planets of our solar system.

The Srirangam temple is having 21 towers, the tallest being the Rajagopuram of 216 feet high with 13 tiers.

The Rajagopuram was completed in the year 1987, until when it was a partial tower called Mottai kopuram which was built along with other towers in the period between the 14th and the 18th centuries.

Every year on the Vaigunda Egadhasi day in the Tamil month of Margazhi/ Deceber-January, “Sorga vasal” Thirappu/ Entrance of Heaven opening will be celebrated in the Srirangam temple attended by a large number of Hindus.

They believe that by entering the “Sorgavasal” in Srirangam/Boolga Vaigundam/The Heaven of Earth will attain Vaigundam in the later life.Thiruvanaikovil situated at 2 km east of Srirangam is having Jambugeshwarar Temple a famous and beautiful Shiva temple with excellent architectural design.

The temple is named after the elephant, which is believed to have worshipped Lord Shiva here. Installed under an ancient Jambu tree, the lingam is partially submerged by water and meant to represent God incarnate as Water, one of the Pancha Boodhams( the five elements of nature namely water, fire, air,earth and the sky/space) .

The Siva linga here, is quite small and you have to climb down stairs into a small room where you can see the linga.

There is always water on the floor. It will look as if the Shiva lingam is inside a small lake. This water is supposed to be from the river Cauvery nearby.In Trichy the Lourdes Church of St.Joseph’s College is a big Christian church located opposite Rockfort.

This church is a replica of “Basilica of Lourdes” in Southern France built in the year 1812 in the gothich architectural style.

The church is really huge and has an imposing structure having a tower of 200feet high with a large cross on the top.

Another beauty of the church is its stained glass paintings depicting scenes from the Holy Bible.

There are many good Colleges and Schools in Trichy.There are a good number of mosques/Pallivasals of Muslims in the city of Trichy.

Natharsha Pallivasal and Nana Moona Pallivasals are notable mosques attended for namaz by a large number of muslims.

Natharvali Dargah -the ancient Dargah, more than1000 years old, is situated in the heart of Trichy city. Baba Natharvali occupy a high rank among the Islamic saints of the world.

Even though he was the sultan, he had no attachment to pleasures of royal life, right from his younger days.

He descended from his throne and undertook holy pilgrimage for propagation of Allah’s glory according to Islamic tenets.

The Dargah presents the fabulous architectural style, and the dome made up of shining marbles provides a beautiful look to the Dargah.Kallanai as it is called in Tamil the Grand Dam built across Cauvery river by Karikal Cholan, one of the famous Chola kings in the year 2AD, is at about 12 kms from Trichy.

Kallanai- the stone bridge is 990 feet long and 60 feet20 wide. There are parks in between the dams, where tourists can enjoy free air in the surroundings of water, when there is plenty of water flowing in the rivers.The Upper Anaicut “Melanai” built in the 19th Century is about 685m long.

The dam is divided in to three major sections so that it got the name ‘Mukkombu’,situtated at the head of Srirangam is a very pleasant spot and people crowd their in weekends and on all holidays.Located further down of Mukkombu on its other side, away from Trichy, at a village called Gunaseelam, there is a temple of Lord Vishnu Many believe that this temple was present even before Tirupati.Gangaikonda Cholapuram is located in Udayarpalayam Taluk of Perambalur district, at a distance of 100 km from Trichy. Rajendra Chola – I, a Chola King established Gangaikonda Cholapuram as his capital city and built a beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Apart from the gigantic Nandi, there are some eye-catching sculptures including a dancing Ganesha, a lion-headed well and an amazing piece depicting Rajendra being crowned by Lord Shiva and Parvati.Viralimalai is a small town located at about 30 km from Trichy. A famous Murugan temple and the Peacock Park on a small hillock top are the tourist attractions of Viralimalai.

The town is having a large number of wild peacocks, roaming around the Murugan temple.

Peacock is said to be the vehicle of Lord Muruga which is also the Indian National Bird.Sittrannavasal a village at about 30 kms from Trichy is having the remains of 2nd century B.C.Jain cave temple. Fresco paintings reminiscent of Ajanta adorn the walls.

Many of them are typical of the 9th century Pandyan period and include exquisitely detailed pictures of animals, fish, ducks, people gathering lotuses from a pond and two dancing figures.

There are also inscriptions dating back to the 9th and 10th centuries. Fresco painting from the 7th century can be seen on the ceiling of the rdhamandapam.

There are many pre-historic burial sites around Sittannavasal and among the relics unearthed are burial urns, cists and Kurangupatarai.A Government Museum is situated at Thirukokarnam, near the Pudukkottai at a distance of 40 km from Trichy.

The rare collections in the sections of Geology, Zoology, Paintings, Anthropology, Epigraphy,Historical Records, etc., are very interesting. The museum is open on all days except Mondays.

Samayapuram is a very important place of pilgrimage at about 10 kms from Trichy which is famous for its temple dedicated to the Goddess Mariamman .

The Hindus believe that the Goddess is all powerful and their prayers are heard and boons are received from the Goddess.

In the Tamil month “Chithirai” there is a car festival and “Poochoriyal”(flowers bath to the Goddess of Mariamman), attended by many pilgrimages from various parts of Tamilnadu and other places of India.Uthamar Koil in Karumbanur is one of the most famous shrines in 108 Vaishnavik Padalshtalams.

Uthamar Koil is situated in Mannachanallur at 8 km north of Trichy.

Uthamar Koil Temple is where the Hindu Lord of Creation,Sri Brahma, the Lord for the well being of the universe,Sri Vishnu and the Lord of destroying of the universe – Lord Shiva take their abode.

Uthamar Koil is also known as ” Kadambavanam” or “Trimurthishektram”

.Kodumbalur village,also called Moovar Kovil is at 42 km from Trichy,in the Trichy-Madurai National Highway.Out of the three shrines here, only two exist now. It was formerly the seat of the Irukkuvelar.

These temples were built by Boodhi Vikramakesari in the 10th century A.D. with sculptures of Kalarimurthi, Gajasamharamurthi, Ardhanariswara and Gangadaramurthi which are masterpieces of art. Nearby is the Muchukumdeswarar temple of the Early Chola period.A big Aiyappan Temple is located near the District Court of Trichy which is a peaceful temple attracting many people in all week days.

This temple is famous for its discipline and neatness.Puliancholai situated at 70 km from Trichy is a fine picnic spot, which is located in the foot hills of the “kolli hills range”.Trichy will always have a moderate climate where you can visit any time in the year.

The maximum temperature during summer goes around 40°C, while during winter it dips to a low of 20°C. The best time to visit Trichy is from October to March.