Thanjavur (Tanjore) is the former capital of the Chola Empire. Brihadishvara temple, registered as a world heritage, stands out for the refinement of its details and its giant gopurams. At the entrance to the inner court, an elephant and a Nandi bull, carved on a block of black granite welcome you. Further northwards, after a basin, you will notice the Schwartz church and further upwards the Palace built between the 16th and the 18th centuries, lined with a maze of courts, halls and corridors. In January, follow the festival at Tiruvayyaru, the musical city of Southern India.