1000 Year Celebration Tanjore Siva Temple

Thousand years celebration of "Thanjavur Perya Koil"(Thanjavur Big temple) bengan on Wednesday with colour manner.

A three-day ''Thanjai Sangamam'' festival began at five places in and around Thanjavur city , as a prelude for the millennium celebrations of the Big Temple to be held here on September 25 and 26.

The festival showcased rural folk dances, dramas and other entertainment propgrammes.

The events were held at Raja Rajan Mani Mandapam, Sivaganga park, Tholkappiar Sadukkam, old housing unit and Karunthattankudi.

The general function in which stamps and coins are to be released, would be held on Armed Police grounds. Seminars will be held at Karikal Cholan auditorium at Tamil University from September 24 to 26, according to official sources.

Chief Minister M Karunanidhi will inagurate the seminar at Tamil University on September 24, the sources said .

According to the sources, the big temple built by King Raja Raja Cholan in 1010 A.D. is an architectural marvel. The Union Ministry of Culture has sanctioned Rs 25 crore for renovating the temple in connection with the millennium festival.

The sources further said an exhibition will also be organised at the Palace grounds and Sangeetha Mahal on Chola dynasty on September 25 and 26. Three hundred and fifty objects depicting Chola history, art and culture, sculpture, epigraphy and paintings would be on display at the exhibition.

Six types of objects, including photographs, models, paintings and copper plates of Chola period comprising ones found at Indalur recently and manuscripts would be showcased, sources added.

Charts and labels would also be on display. Rare objects like icons and bronze articles would be displayed in Sangeetha Mahal.

Four books on Raja Raja Chola would also be released , the sources added.

The sources said on September 25 a classical dance programme by 1000 artistes, singing of Thirumurais, playing of tavil and nagaswaram will be held at the Big Temple. Choreographed by well-known dancer Padma Subramaniam, the eminent Bharathanatyam exponent, the programme with 1,000 artistes will be the highlight of the millennium celebrations.

A stage play on Raja Raja Cholan will also be held to mark the occasion, sources said.

Union Minister for Information and Communication Technology A Raja would release a special stamp on September 26 and Union Minister for Shipping G K Vasan will receive it. Union Minister of State for Finance S S Palanimanickam will release a special coin. On the inaugural day today, cultural programmes of Thenmozhi Rajendran, Tamil Isai music by Sirkazhi Sivachidambaram, dance by Narthagi Nataraj and a programme by Carnatic vocalist Sudha Ragunathan, held at the premises of Big Temple stole the limelight.

Folk arts performance by Madurai Muthu troupe would be the highlight of events tomorrow. carnatic vocal by T M Krishna and dance by Zakir Hussain also lined up for tomorrow.

''Parayattam'' by Arumugam and his team, instrumental music by A K Palanivel and carnatic music by Aruna Sairam will mark the next day's events.

On September 25, the events would begin with Nadhaswaram music followed by a conference presided by Finance Minister K Anbazhagan.

Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi will start off the proceedings with a welcome speech. Scholars from various fields will talk on the features of the Big Temple.

The government has also arranged a month-long Indian dance festival at the Big Temple premises from December 26 as part of the Millennium celebrations.