2-day TN visit: PM Modi offers prayers at Chola temple; holds roadshow in Gangaikonda Cholapuram | India News

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday participated in the celebration of the birth anniversary of Chola emperor Rajendra Chola I with the Aadi Thiruvathirai Festival at Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruchirappalli.During the two-day visit to Tamil Nadu, the Prime Minister offered prayers at the Chola-era Lord Brihadeeswara temple amid chants of Vedic and Saivite Thirumurai.PM Modi brought a ‘kalasam’ (metal pot) with traditional decorations which is believed to contain water from River Ganga.Clad in veshti (dhoti), white shirt and angavasthram worn around the neck, the prime minsiter circumambulated the inner corridor of the temple, a part of the great living Chola temples, a UNESCO heritage site. He also offered prayers by conducting a “deeparathanai.”The PM also visited an exhibition organised by the Archaeological Survey of India on Chola Shaivism and architecture.Earlier in the day, PM Modi also held a roadshow in Gangaikonda Cholapuram after his arrival.During the roadshow, the prime minister stood on the running board of his vehicle and waved at the people who lined up on both sides of the road.Gangaikonda Cholapuram was the ‘victory city’ constructed by Rajendra Chola following his victorious maritime expedition to South East Asia about 1,000 years ago.Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a roadshow here on Sunday soon after his arrival to preside over a function to mark the birth anniversary of the iconic Chola king Rajendra Chola-I.

Who was Rajendra Chola-I?

This special celebration commemorates 1,000 years of Rajendra Chola’s legendary maritime expedition to South East Asia and the commencement of the construction of the Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple, a magnificent example of Chola architecture.Rajendra Chola I (1014–1044 CE) stands among the most powerful and visionary rulers in Indian history. Under his reign, the Chola Empire extended its influence across South and Southeast Asia. Following his triumphant military campaigns, he established Gangaikonda Cholapuram as the imperial capital. The grand temple he built there became a symbol of Shaiva devotion, architectural brilliance, and administrative excellence, serving as a spiritual and cultural hub for over 250 years.Rajendra’s territories included coastal Burma, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, and the Maldives, and he conquered the kings of Srivijaya (Sumatra, Java, and Malaya in South East Asia) and the Pegu islands with his fleet of ships. He defeated Mahipala, the Pala king of Bengal and Bihar.