The Chola Temple That PM Modi Visited Was Built A Millennium Ago

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple in Tamil Nadu's Ariyalur district today, as part of the concluding ceremony of the Aadi Thiruvathirai festival.

During the visit, he also took 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.