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NDTV
3 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
PM Modi To Visit Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple In Tamil Nadu: All About It
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple in Tamil Nadu's Ariyalur district today, as part of the concluding ceremony of the Aadi Thiruvathirai festival. During the visit, the Prime Minister will take part in a series of events, including the release of a commemorative coin and the offering of Ganga water at the ancient Brihadisvara Temple. The once-imperial Chola capital has been transformed into a festive hub for the occasion, with garlands, flags, and heightened security arrangements in place. Over 2,000 police personnel have been deployed ahead of the high-profile visit. PM Modi is on a two-day visit to Tamil Nadu, having arrived on July 26. All About The Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple The Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple is located in the Ariyalur district of Tamil Nadu, in the town of the same name. The temple was built by the Chola emperor Rajendra I and completed in 1035 CE to commemorate his victorious northern expedition. It is an example of Dravidian architecture, featuring intricate carvings and sculptures from the Chola period. The principal deity of the temple is Lord Shiva, worshipped in the form of a 13-foot-tall Shiva Lingam. The temple tower, or vimana, rises to a height of 55 metres, making it one of the tallest in India. The temple stands on an elevated plinth and features a courtyard that measures 170 metres in length and 98 metres in width. The main structure of the temple is 341 feet long and 100 feet wide. The temple is part of the "Great Living Chola Temples", a group of UNESCO World Heritage Sites that also includes the Brihadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur and the Airavatesvara Temple in Darasuram. The name "Gangaikonda Cholapuram" means "the city of the Chola who conquered the Ganga", referring to Rajendra I's military expedition to northern India, during which pots of Ganga water were brought back to the south. Rajendra I shifted the Chola capital from Thanjavur to Gangaikonda Cholapuram, which remained the imperial capital for over 250 years. The city was fortified with both inner and outer defensive walls, as revealed by archaeological excavations. The outer fortification was made of burnt bricks, measuring six to eight feet in width and filled with sand between two layers of brick walls. While the capital once housed many temples, most were destroyed in later centuries, and only the main Shiva temple survives today. The temple was re-consecrated in 2017, with the installation of a new dwajasthambam (flagstaff) and the performance of maha kumbhabhishekam rituals.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
PM Modi in Tamil Nadu LIVE: Security tightened ahead of PM's Gangaikonda Cholapuram visit
Gangaikonda Cholapuram in Ariyalur district in Tamil Nadu wore a festive look ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to the ancient capital of the imperial Cholas built by Emperor Rajendra Chola I. The village and the Brihadisvara Temple, situated along the Tiruchi-Chidambaram National Highway, have been decked up with flags and garlands to welcome the Prime Minister, who will participate in the valediction of the Aadi Thiruvathirai festival marking the birth anniversary of Rajendra Chola I. Watch: Gangaikonda Cholapuram: PM Modi to visit Rajendra Chola's lost capital Mr. Modi will release a commemorative coin in honour of the king, accepting a request made by R. Komagan, Chairman of the Gangaikondacholapuram Development Council Trust. The king had built Gangaikonda Cholapuram along with the Brihadisvara Temple and the Cholagangam, a massive lake, after his victorious expedition to the Gangetic plains about 1,000 years ago.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
PM Modi in Tamil Nadu: Gangaikonda Cholapuram decked up to welcome PM Modi; police tighten security ahead of visit
Gangaikonda Cholapuram in Ariyalur district in Tamil Nadu wore a festive look ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to the ancient capital of the imperial Cholas built by Emperor Rajendra Chola I. The village and the Brihadisvara Temple, situated along the Tiruchi-Chidambaram National Highway, have been decked up with flags and garlands to welcome the Prime Minister, who will participate in the valediction of the Aadi Thiruvathirai festival marking the birth anniversary of Rajendra Chola I. Mr. Modi will release a commemorative coin in honour of the king, accepting a request made by R. Komagan, Chairman of the Gangaikondacholapuram Development Council Trust. The king had built Gangaikonda Cholapuram along with the Brihadisvara Temple and the Cholagangam, a massive lake, after his victorious expedition to the Gangetic plains about 1,000 years ago. Reaffirming the Chola capital's link to the river, Mr. Modi would hand over a pot of water brought from the river Ganga to the temple priests. 'The Prime Minister will hand over the pot brought from Varanasi to the Sivachariars of the temple to perform abishekam,' Mr. Komagan told The Hindu. Heads of various Saivaite mutts in Tamil Nadu are also set to participate in the event. 'About 30 heads of Saivaite maths and sadhus will attend the event. A group of 44 oduvars will recite hymns from Thiruvasagam,' Mr. Komagan said. The Prime Minister will inspect a thematic photo exhibition on 'Saiva siddhanta and Chola Temple Arts', put up by the Archaeological Survey of India, which maintains the temple. Music composer Ilaiyaraaja will perform a 20-minute concert in the presence of Mr. Modi. Mr. Modi is also expected to go on a roadshow from the helipad, set up near the Cholagangam, or Ponneri, to the temple. The village and the Brihadisvara Temple have been under security blanket with the deployment of over 2,000 police personnel. On Saturday (July 26, 2025), Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat visited the temple and reviewed the arrangements.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Gangaikonda Cholapuram decked up to welcome PM; police tighten security ahead of visit
Gangaikonda Cholapuram in Ariyalur district in Tamil Nadu wore a festive look on Saturday, a day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to the ancient capital of the imperial Cholas built by Emperor Rajendra Chola I. The village and the Brihadisvara Temple, situated along the Tiruchi-Chidambaram National Highway, has been decked up with flags and garlands to welcome the Prime Minister, who will participate in the valediction of the Aadi Thiruvathirai festival marking the birth anniversary of Rajendra Chola I. Mr. Modi will release a commemorative coin in honour of the king, accepting a request made by R. Komagan, Chairman of the Gangaikondacholapuram Development Council Trust. The king had built Gangaikonda Cholapuram along with the Brihadisvara Temple and the Cholagangam, a massive lake, after his victorious expedition to the Gangetic plains about 1,000 years ago. Reaffirming the Chola capital's link to the river, Mr. Modi would hand over a pot of water brought from the river Ganga to the temple priests. 'The Prime Minister will hand over the pot brought from Varanasi to the Sivachariars of the temple to perform abishekam,' Mr. Komagan told The Hindu. Heads of various Saivaite mutts in Tamil Nadu are also set to participate in the event. 'About 30 heads of Saivaite maths and sadhus will attend the event. A group of 44 oduvars will recite hymns from Thiruvasagam,' Mr. Komagan said. The Prime Minister will inspect a thematic photo exhibition on 'Saiva siddhanta and Chola Temple Arts', put up by the Archaeological Survey of India, which maintains the temple. Music composer Ilaiyaraaja will perform a 20-minute concert in the presence of Mr. Modi. After an overnight stay in Tiruchi, Mr. Modi will fly to Gangaikonda Cholapuram in a helicopter on Sunday morning. After offering prayers at the temple, he will participate in the public event. Mr. Modi is also expected to go on a roadshow from the helipad, set up near the Cholagangam, or Ponneri, to the temple. The village and the Brihadisvara Temple have been under security blanket with the deployment of over 2,000 police personnel. On Saturday, Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat visited the temple and reviewed the arrangements.
The Hindu
18-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
PM Modi to release commemorative coin of King Rajendra Chola, Ilaiyaraaja to perform at Gangaikonda Cholapuram on July 27
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to participate in a function in Tamil Nadu on July 27, 2025 being organised to commemorate the 1000th anniversary (millenary) of the conquest of the Gangetic plains by King Rajendra Chola I, who established the city of Gangaikonda Cholapuram and constructed the Brihadisvara Temple, in Ariyalur district. Mr. Modi will also release a commemorative coin on the occasion, accepting a request made by R. Komagan, Chairman of the Gangaikondacholapuram Development Council Trust. The temple town and its premises are being spruced up for the Prime Minister's visit. An exhibition showcasing the conquest, trophies and miniature sculptures of Saivite saints will be held at the temple premises between July 23 and 27. Music composer Ilaiyaraaja will perform a 20-minute concert in the presence of Mr. Modi. A capital of the Cholas for 250 years, Gangaikonda Cholapuram, located on the banks of the Kollidam River in Ariyalur district, lost its glory with the fall of the Chola dynasty. A report in the Gazetteer of South India in 1855 — later included in the book 'The Colas' by K.A. Nilakanta Sastri — compared Gangaikonda Cholapuram to ancient Babylon. 'Immediately in its vicinity is a pagoda of a very large size and costly workmanship; and close by, surrounded by jungle, are some remains of ancient buildings, now much resembling the mounds and heaps which indicate the site of ancient Babylon, but in which the village elders point out the various parts of an extensive and magnificent palace,' the report states. It also refers to the complete dismantling of the outer wall and the partial demolition of the inner wall by the British in 1832, during the construction of the Lower Kollidam Anaicut. 'When the Lower Kollidam Anaicut was built, the structure was dismantled of a large part of the splendid granite sculptures which adorned it, and the enclosing wall was almost wholly destroyed in order to obtain materials for the work,' the report points out. Although local people did their best to prevent the 'destruction and spoliation of a venerated edifice,' they were punished for contempt. 'A promise was made, indeed, that a wall of brick would be built in place of the stone wall that was pulled down, but unhappily it must be recorded that this promise has never been redeemed,' the report adds.
