This 35-by-52-inch panorama documents Thanjavur Palace in Tamil Nadu, India—the massive seventeenth-century royal complex that served as seat of the Nayak and Maratha rulers before British colonial annexation. The substantial dimensions suit documentation of this sprawling palace compound encompassing multiple courtyards, halls, and towers.

Created in 2003, the work represents Hayashi’s continued engagement with South Asian architecture following her extensive documentation of sacred sites across India. Thanjavur Palace demonstrates secular royal architecture complementing the temple documentation that dominates her Indian work, the palatial complex revealing different aspects of South Asian architectural tradition.

The palace compound includes the Saraswathi Mahal Library—one of Asia’s oldest surviving libraries—and various halls whose names reflect their functions: the Sangeetha Mahal for music, the Sarkar Durbar for state occasions. The complex represents centuries of royal patronage and the cultural achievements it enabled.

The photo collage technique captures the palace’s architectural complexity, multiple perspectives revealing courtyards and structures that no single vantage point could contain. The assembled composition documents royal architecture that now serves as museum and cultural institution.

Thanjavur’s cultural significance extends beyond palace walls: the city’s Brihadishwara Temple, built by Chola emperor Rajaraja I around 1000 CE, is one of India’s greatest architectural achievements. This palace panorama documents the later royal architecture that coexisted with earlier temple traditions.