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Thanjavur Maharashtrian

Serfoji II · Sir Madhava Rao Thanjavurkar
Regions with significant populations
Chola Nadu region of Tamil Nadu, Chennai, smaller numbers in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and other parts of Tamil Nadu
Languages
Thanjavur Marathi (mother tongue), Tamil
Religion
Hinduism
Related ethnic groups
Marathi people, Deshasta Brahmin, Tamil people

Tanjore Maharashtrians (colloquially called Rāyar(Tamil: ராயர்)), are Marathi-speaking people, who had settled down in Tanjore (now Thanjavur), Tamil Nadu nearly four centuries ago. They had migrated there following the conquest of the area by Ekoji (or Vyankoji), half-brother of Shivaji.

It is a community which today relates more to the local environment than with Maharashtra of which they are in awe but keep a respectful distance because the language is a barrier. The Marathi they speak is heavily accented with Tamil and has words which are frozen in time. The words and idioms used at the time of the migration with the victors to Tanjore are still in use and present-day Maharashtrians in Maharashtra are scarcely able to follow that.

Prominent Thanjavur Maharashtrians

• T. Venkata Rao, Diwan of Travancore from 1821 to 1829 and 1838 to 1839.
• Sir Madhava Rao Thanjavurkar (1828-1891), Diwan of Travancore from 1857 to 1872 and an early leader of the Indian National Congress.
• Thanjavur Subha Rao, Diwan of Travancore in the 1830s.
• T. Ananda Rao (1852-1919), Indian administrator. Diwan of Mysore from 1909 to 1912. Son of Sir T. Madhava Rao.
• V. P. Madhava Rao (1850-1934), Indian administrator. Diwan of Mysore from 1906 to 1909 and Baroda from 1910 to 1913.
• N. Vittal (b. 1938), Indian civil servant.
• Rahul Dravid, Indian cricketer and former captain.

In the Media

• The character Shriram Abhyankar played by Atul Kulkarni in the movie Hey Ram, is a Tanjore Maharashtrian. Kamal Hassan's character Saket Ram is initially surprised that Abhyankar, a Maharashtrian, speaks Tamil. Abhyankar then explains that he is part of a Maharashtrian community settled in Tanjore.

See also

• Thanjavur Marathi
• Patnūlkarar
• Dravid (Surname)

References

• M. Vinayak (January 15, 2000). "Struggle for survival". The Hindu. http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/2000/01/15/stories/1315063j.htm.