Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently on a two-day visit to Tamil Nadu. PM Modi arrived in Tamil Nadu on Saturday after completing his four-day visit to Britain and Maldives. On the first day of his visit, PM Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of development projects worth Rs 4800 crore. After this, today i.e. on Sunday, he will visit Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple in Tiruchirapalli district and participate in the Thiruvathirai festival.
Let us tell you that this special festival is being celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of the great Chola emperor Rajendra Chola I and the 1000th anniversary of his historic sea conquest of South-East Asia. PM Modi will take part in the closing ceremony of this grand event today. Rajendra Chola I was one of the most powerful and farsighted rulers in Indian history. It was under Rajendra Chola I that the Chola Empire expanded its influence in South and Southeast Asia.
At the same time, after his victorious campaigns, he established Gangaikonda Cholapuram as the royal capital. Let us inform you that Gangaikonda means the conqueror of Ganga. At the same time, a grand temple was built in the capital. These temples remained a symbol of Shaivite devotion, amazing Chola architecture and administrative skills for more than 250 years.
Let us inform you that today this temple is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This temple is famous for its intricate sculptures, Chola bronzes and ancient inscriptions. The Aadi Thiruvathirai festival also celebrates the rich Tamil Saivite devotional tradition, which was enthusiastically supported by the Cholas and immortalised by the Nayanmars, the saint-poets of Tamil Saivism.