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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