Tiruchirappalli now called Trichy is situated on the banks of the Cauvery river.   Trichy, the fourth largest city in the state was a citadel of the early Cholas   which later fell to the Pallavas. But the Pallavas never really managed to   retain control of this strategic city and lost it to the Pandyas several times.   The struggle for power between the Pallavas and Pandyas continued till 10th   centuryas the Cholas asserted and assumed the reigns until the deadline of the   century.
When this empire collapsed in 1565, Trichy came to be under the   rule of the Nayaks of Madurai, the Marathas, the Nawabs of Carnatic, the French   and finally the British. But it was under the Nayaks of Madurai that Trichy   prospered in its own right and grew to be the city that it is today. The city is   a fine blend of the traditions and modern and is built around the Rock Fort.   Apart from the fort there are several churches, colleges and missions dating   back to the 1760s. With excellent infrastructure facilities Trichy is a good   base to see east-central TamilNadu. 
Trichy's most famous landmark is an 83m high rock   which is the only outcrop in the otherwise flat land of the city. The most   amazing fact about the rock is that it is one of the oldest in the   world-approximately 3,800 years, which makes it as old as the rocks of Greenland   and older than the Himalayas. Atop of the rock is the Ucchi Pillayar Koil, 
a temple dedicated to Lord Vinayaka, from where one can enjoy a   panoramic view of Trichy. A flight of steps leads to the Mathrubutheswarar or   Thayumanaswami temple dedicated to Lord Siva where the lingam is a projection of   the rock itself. 
Places to Visit in Tamil Nadu