Tiruchirappalli now called Trichy
is situated on the banks of the Cauvery river. Trichy, the fourth largest city
in the state was a citadel of the early Cholas which later fell to the Pallavas.
But the Pallavas never really managed to retain control of this strategic city
and lost it to the Pandyas several times. The struggle for power between the
Pallavas and Pandyas continued till 10th centuryas the Cholas asserted and assumed
the reigns until the deadline of the century.
When this empire collapsed in 1565, Trichy came to be under the rule of the
Nayaks of Madurai, the Marathas, the Nawabs of Carnatic, the French and finally
the British. But it was under the Nayaks of Madurai that Trichy prospered in
its own right and grew to be the city that it is today. The city is a fine blend
of the traditions and modern and is built around the Rock Fort. Apart from the
fort there are several churches, colleges and missions dating back to the 1760s.
With excellent infrastructure facilities Trichy is a good base to see east-central
TamilNadu.
Trichy's most famous landmark is an 83m high rock which is the only outcrop
in the otherwise flat land of the city. The most amazing fact about the rock
is that it is one of the oldest in the world-approximately 3,800 years, which
makes it as old as the rocks of Greenland and older than the Himalayas. Atop
of the rock is the Ucchi Pillayar Koil,
a temple dedicated to Lord Vinayaka, from where one can enjoy a panoramic view
of Trichy. A flight of steps leads to the Mathrubutheswarar or Thayumanaswami
temple dedicated to Lord Siva where the lingam is a projection of the rock itself.
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