Spend a musical weekend in Thanjavur

Imagine sitting in an ancient temple listening to divine music on a balmy evening. Add to that a thousand bright lamps, fragrant flower decoration and lighting. Even the thought of this beautiful experience can transcend you to a different era altogether. The Festival of Sacred Music at Thanjavur town has been attracting a fair share of travel and music aficionados over the last few years. This year it will be held from February 26 to February 28. 

The curator, Ranvir Shah of Prakriti Foundation says, “The festival aims to restore the pride of the musical centre that existed during the time of Saint Thyagaraja and once again make it an important seat of music. Music lovers across the world look forward to witnessing this one-of-a-kind festival with rare ambience.” 

This year one can listen to bhajans and kirtans by Dr Mukundraj Maharaj at the courtyard of an old Maratha palace, fusion concert by Aditya Prakash Ensemble at Pushya Mahal Ghat, on the banks of river Cauvery and vocal concert by Nityashree Mahadevan on the premises of Panchanatheeswara Temple. The earlier editions of the festival have also included venues like Kalyan Mahal ghats, Rajah’s College and the Chettiar Chatram (a choultry). Shah adds, “The Festival of Sacred Music is about reviving the best of Thiruvaiyaru—its arts and music, its landscape and the local life—for heritage preservation and responsible rural tourism.” 

The city of Thanjavur has a lot of historical significance. The ancient city rose to prominence in the 12th and 13th centuries under the able rulers of the Chola dynasty. Under their patronage, Thanjavur flourished in the fields of art, literature and architecture. There is much to see and explore in the city as well, apart from enjoying the festival.