What to See in Trichy
Trichy is one of the most important cities in the state of Tamil Nadu. Trichy is located on the banks of River Caveri and is an important tourist destination in Tamil Nadu. It has some very fine temples and historic monuments. The most important one is the Rock Fort temple in Trichy. Hence, this place is also called as Rock City.
The Rock fort temple was built in 1736 AD by the Vijaynagar emperor. This temple is the oldest sediment fossil rock. The age of this rock is more than 3800 million years. There are nearly 300 steps laid here and you have to climb these to reach the temple. The temple is an architectural marvel and has letters engraved on the walls. The Rock Fort Temple complex consists of three temples, the Manikka Vinayakar temple, Uchhi Pillayar Koyil and the Shivastalam temple. The Shivastalam temple is a rock cut temple and is a landmark of Trichy.
Erumbeeswarar is a magnificent temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. There are beautiful sculptures like the huge Nandi, Dancing Ganesh, Lion headed well and a stunning Rajendra being crowned by Lord Shiva and Parvati. Koduumbalur has some temples that belong to the 10th century. The architecture of these temples is unique and the sculptures are interesting masterpieces. The temple of Muchukundeswara is an excellent specimen of the early Chola period.
The Jambukeshwara temple in Thiruvanikaval is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This temple houses five concentric walls and seven gopurams. As the legend goes, an elephant once worshiped this deity under the holy Jambu tree. Hence, the name of this place is Jambukeshwara. The Shiva Lingam is submerged in water that flows from the subterranean spring. This temple represents the panchabhoota sthalam- representing the five basic elements.
Other important temples in Trichy are the Sri Ranganathaswami Temple, Kudumianmalai temple , Gangaikondan cholapuram temples, etc. Srirangam has the largest temple of Lord Vishnu in India.
The government museum at Thirukokarnam has some very rare collections of things related to geology, Anthropology, Paintings, Zoology, Epigraphy and historical records.
There are some churches in Trichy that you should visit. St.John's church was built in 1812. The doors of this church open and convert it into an airy pavilion. The ancient church at Elakurichi is very popular and is known as Veeramamunivar. One more church at Avur is ancient.
Shopping in Trichy:
Trichy is popular for Cigars and Cheroots. You can buy excellent brass handicrafts, handloom textiles, pith models of temples, jwellery, carved brass and copper plates inlaid with silver, musical instruments and wood and clay toys.
What to eat in Trichy
Tamil Nadu is famous for its delicious cuisine. The most popular one is the Chettinad cuisine. These are hot and spicy preparations of fish, mutton and chicken. Vegetarian food consists of sumptuous spread with many vegetables curries, sambar, chutneys, rasam and curd. The most famous dish is the Pongal, which is made of mash rice and lentils. These are seasoned with cashew nuts, ghee, pepper, etc.