Ramaswamy Temple

The Ramaswamy Temple of Thanjavur owes its architecture to the trademark, age-old Dravidian style. The main deities of the temple is Lord Rama himself, and his chief companions throughout the story of Ramayana - his wife and consort Seeta, brother and protector Lakshmana and loyal and powerful devotee, Anjaneya Hanuman. The central shrine houses the idols of all these figures as well as some more, perfectly depicting the last scene of Ramayana as we know. Lord Rama and Seeta sit on a throne, flanked by Lakshmana with a bow and arrow, their other two brothers Bharat and Shatrugna, with an umbrella and a fan respectively, while Hanuman sits near the Lord's feet in a praying posture and sings his praise with a veena.

Between the sanctum and the three-tiered gopuram of the temple lies the Maha Mandapam with 64 pillars, which are sculpted with certain episodes from the great epic. Events like the coronation of Vibishana and Sugriva, Hanuman playing the Veena, relieving Agalya from her curse - these are carved on the single-stone pillars of the hall. The carvings are delicate and tell the episodes of Ramayana in artistic details.

Around the three-tiered gopurams or gate, which is typical to almost all south Indian Hindu temples, there are wall paintings on the rock walls of the temple precincts, nearly 219 in number, telling the whole story of Ramayana in pictures. If you take rounds of the sanctum, following the rule of pradakshinam, then you can read through the whole story told through pictures in three turns. There are temples of some other deities like Alwar Sannathi, Sreenivasa Sannathi, and Gopalan Sannathi as well.