Manora : Marine History & Architecture

The delta of Thanjavur has been the motherland of fine arts. Beginning with Pallavas, a range of traditions that include Cholas, Pandyas, Bojalas, Moghuls, Vijayanagar Dynasties, and the like, have bequeathed hoary art-treasures to the posterity, the elegance of which endures till date for us to understand the art and architecture and culture of Tamil Nadu.

Be they buildings, or sculptures or paintings or what-ever in all these, might we have a glimpse of a certain exclusiveness as well as a combination of various trends. Quite within our eyes' reach lies an inlay of history and culture in conjunction.
Small is the strip of Coromandel coast, which really forms part of the Thanjavur district map as on date. Only in the Pattukkottai Taluk of this district are to be found significant seaboards; one of these is Sarabendraraja pattinam which is but a small sea-shanty.
In the surround of a lovely landscape, sea-laved, fringed with a line of palms green and majestic stands Manora, a two-in-one Fort-and -Lighthouse, but during the Maratta's regime.
This historic towering monument raised by Serfoji II, under the British Rule in 1814 A.D., had in it a host of facts to demand lasting attention.
Buckled to the task of writing, as we have, on the preferential architectural intricacies of Manora, we have duly scrutinized the available inscriptions and documents in Tamil, English, Marathi, Modi, replete with chronicled data. A chunk of such evidence is still preserved in Sarasvati Mahal Library which was enriched by King Serfoji II of Thanjavur. Considering all information, collating them in order, we have compiled this text; in view of its significance, it is in all aptness that Sarasvati mahal has brought this text out as its 434th Publication.
Our thanks are due to the Central Government that funded this publication. We thank Thiru. S. Kosalaraman, I.AS., District Collector and Director of T.M.S.S.M. Library, Thanjavur, who readily agreed for the publication of this book. Worth acknowledging are the services rendered by the Administrative Officer Thiru. Samy. Sivagnanam, Publication Manager Thiru. A. Panchanathan and Preserver Kudavayil M. Balasubramanian, connection with this publication. Dr. Victor Rajamanickam of tie Tamil University was kind enough to give us scientifically processed data which help us much and we express our heart-felt thanks to him. Thanks to Thiru K. Padmanabhan for his services to get this book printed neatly in time. We hope this book would benefit the readers who are more interested in art history of Thanjavur.