 Thanjavur is an important pilgrim centre and a major tourist destination of Tamil Nadu . South Zone Culture Centre in Thanjavur is one of the regional cultural centres established by the Government of India to preserve and promote cultural heritage of India . There were 2 @,@ 002 @,@ 225 Indian and 81 @,@ 435 foreign tourist arrivals in 2009 to Thanjavur . The most visited monument in Thanjavur is the Brihadeeswarar Temple , whose construction , the historian Percy Brown described as " a landmark in the evolution of building art in South India " . Built in the 11th century by the Chola king Raja Raja Chola I ( 985 – 1014 ) , the temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva . The walls of the sanctum are covered with wall paintings from the Chola and Nayak periods . The temple was designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 . It is replicated in the Gangaikonda Cholesvarar Temple constructed by Raja Raja 's son Rajendra Chola I ( 1012 – 44 ) . 
