Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the construction of grand statues honoring Chola emperors Rajaraja Chola and Rajendra Chola I, heralding them as symbols of India’s historical and cultural pride. Speaking at the Aadi Thiruvathirai festival, which marks Rajendra Chola’s birth anniversary and 1,000 years of his maritime expedition to Southeast Asia, Modi celebrated the Chola era’s military, democratic, and architectural achievements, including the iconic Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple.

“These statues will stand as modern pillars of India’s historical consciousness,” Modi declared, emphasizing the Chola Empire’s advanced navy and democratic practices like the Kudavolai system, predating global democratic milestones. He highlighted Rajendra’s unique legacy of bringing sacred Ganga water to the South, a feat commemorated by a ritual during the festival, where Ganga water was brought from Kashi to Tamil Nadu’s Ponneri lake.

Modi, welcomed with traditional temple honors at the Brihadeeswara temple, released a commemorative coin for Rajendra Chola and immersed himself in spiritual hymns by Odhuvamurthys and a Shiva-chant concert by maestro Ilaiyaraja. “Tamil Nadu remains a vibrant center of our Shaivite tradition, shaped by the Cholas,” he said, connecting their legacy to modern initiatives like Kashi-Tamil Sangamam and the Sengol’s installation in the new Parliament.

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The PM also visited an Archaeological Survey of India exhibition on Chola Shaivism and architecture, later posting on X about its showcase of Tamil history and spirituality. From naming the Moon’s South Pole landing site “Shiv-Shakti” to celebrating Tamil poet Kaniyan Poonkundranar at the UN, Modi underscored India’s global cultural influence, rooted in Tamil Nadu’s Chola heritage, as a beacon of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.

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