Modi-ji went to Tamil Nadu this weekend to play chief guest at a festival celebrating Shiva. But the real star of the event was the ancient king Rajendra Chola—who is being recast as the great South Indian Saviour of Hindu pride.
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Ok, tell me about this festival photo-op…
On Sunday, the Prime Minister descended on the Brihadeeswara Temple in Gangaikonda Cholapuram—located in the Ariyalur district in Tamil Nadu. He was the chief guest at the grand finale of the Aadi Thiruvathirai festival—along with the heads of 25 Shaivite mutts across Tamil Nadu. Although the temple, festival and swamis are all dedicated to Lord Shiva—the real superstar of the day was Rajendra Chola (lots more on him in part two).
All hail the king: The celebration was partly Rajendra Chola’s birthday bash since the festival ‘coincided’ with the great king’s birth star this year. The event also marked the 1000th anniversary of his military expedition to the Gangetic plains. And it was held at the temple in the ancient capital established by him—to mark his victory over the Northern kings.
The Modi moment: The PM released a new coin to commemorate the victory—and brought a pot of Ganga-jal from his spiritual home town Varanasi for the temple priests. Though the symbolism of that gift is a bit mystifying:
During the expedition to the Gangetic plains, Rajendra Chola I defeated several kings and chieftains, including the Kalinga ruler and the Pala ruler Mahipala of Bengal. According to the Tiruvalangadu Copper Plates, the vanquished kings were made to carry the Ganga water on their heads to Gangaikonda Cholapuram.
We presume Modi-ji hardly wants to position himself as a ‘vanquished king’—especially in MK Stalin’s town. In any case, he did well enough for himself—as you can see in the photo-op below:
Why is the BJP suddenly big on the Cholas?
My man, Rajendra: For decades, the BJP has struggled to gain a foothold in Tamil Nadu—whose atheist Dravidian politics are hostile ground for RSS’ upper caste, Hindutva ideology. The party has now found new hope in the form of Rajendra Chola—and is now engaged in a propaganda war to steal him from Stalin’s DMK:
This moment signals an attempt to reframe Indian historical memory, with Rajendra Chola’s legacy leveraged through distinct ideological lenses: Stalin’s Dravidian federalism and Modi’s pan-India nationalism… While Stalin’s [narrative] is one of regional pride, water security, and cultural preservation, linking it to Dravidian legacy, Modi’s is a civilisational assertion that connects ancient Indian glory to present-day power.
Specifically, BJP wants to make the king a symbol of ancient ‘Hindu’ glory—that predates those grubby Mughals:
By elevating figures such as Rajendra Chola, who expanded Hindu temple networks and maritime trade routes, the BJP aims to politically articulate a version of Indian history that is expansive, powerful, and deeply rooted in pre-Islamic grandeur.
A theme that echoed in Modi’s speech on Sunday: “The legacy of Rajaraja Chola and Rajendra Chola is synonymous with India’s identity and pride. The history and heritage of the Chola Empire proclaim the true potential of India.”
Election cometh: With the TN election slated for next year, both governments—union and state—are doing their best to leverage their Chola cred. Stalin is going the Disneyland route:
In the lead-up to Aadi Thiruvathirai, the Tamil Nadu CM announced a Rs 19.2 crore redevelopment plan for the [Cholagangam] tank: Rs 12 crore for bund strengthening, desilting of 38 km of canals, renovation of sluices, and irrigation support for seven villages. Another Rs 7.2 crore will be used for converting the area into a tourist destination, with walkways, parks, children’s play areas, fencing, and CCTV surveillance.
Modi has chosen instead to deploy the king toward BJP’s famed caste ‘engineering’—using him to woo those skittish mutt leaders. A BJP source told Deccan Herald:
Modi is fascinated by the Cholas, their seafaring activities, and the kingdom’s unmatched naval supremacy. He has read translations of many Tamil books written on the Chola dynasty. Likewise, he takes a keen interest in the Tamil Shaivite movement and that’s the reason he wanted all mutt heads to be present at this event.
The other/real reason: is that these religious leaders (adheenams) have devoted Other Backward Caste followers. Traditionally wary of the ‘Brahmanical’ BJP, these heads first drew closer in 2023—when they were invited to install a ‘sengol’ to inaugurate the new Parliament building:
“The participation of adheenams in another event hosted by the PM in just two years is an indication that they have begun to trust the BJP. Our primary aim is to engage the adheenams to restore the monasteries to their past glory. We believe such efforts will help us politically, though it may take a long time to reap those benefits,” another source added.
Point to note: Some adheenams have defected entirely to the Hindutva side. In 2022, one of them spoke at a VHP conference—calling them “revolutionaries.” He also said:
Tamil Nadu’s culture and traditions are only in the temples. All our wealth is gone. They call themselves Dravidians and refuse to smear holy ash, or throw away the holy ash. But on Ramzan they wear kullas (skullcaps).
Slowly, slowly, catchee communal monkey.
Also making political hay: of Chola nostalgia, good old Amish who has moved on from uber-macho gods to writing novels scripted by the RSS. Behold the plot of his upcoming ‘The Chola Tigers’:
A thrilling historical saga of defiance, honour and redemption it celebrates the indomitable spirit of India. When the ruthless tyrant Mahmud of Ghazni destroys the sacred temple of Somnath, the greatest ruler of the time, Emperor Rajendra Chola, summons a squad of defiant assassins to embark on a perilous quest and bring the fearsome enemy to his knees… Pacy and action-packed, The Chola Tigers, explores the profound question: How far would you go to defend dharma and your country’s honour?
Needless to say, there is zero history in this ‘historical fiction’. The Cholas rose to power by overthrowing the very Hindu Pandyas in the South. And in 1025 AD—when Mahmud of Ghazni was invading the north—Rajendra Chola was busy sending a naval armada to vanquish the Srivijaya empire in modern day Indonesia.
Point to note: Netagiri aside, the Cholas are having a broader pop culture moment. The dynasty made the first big splash in 2022 with Mani Ratnam's 'Ponniyin Selvan'—a fab GoT-style saga of the dynasty—with gorgeous visuals and A-list actors (hello, Aishwarya)—and very few facts. The filmmakers even put out a PR vid for the Cholas—celebrating their magnificence:
Coming next week: We trace the history of the Chola dynasty—specifically, everyone’s blue-eyed king Rajendra. The conqueror par excellence presided over the not-so ‘golden age of Tamils’. Fair warning: our hero has feet of A-grade clay—and is not quite the Dravidian hero Stalin hearts.
Reading list
The Wire has the PTI copy of the launch PR for Amish’s new novel ‘The Chola Tigers’. The Hindu has excerpts from an interview they did with William Dalrymple on his latest book 'The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World'. Indian Express has more on why both the DMK and BJP are competing for Rajendra Chola. Read The News Minute for details on how the Adheenams have continuously embedded themselves with power centres. The Hindu has reporting on the plan to develop the ‘Chola Gangam’ lake. It and Deccan Herald also have reporting on Modi-ji’s appearance on Sunday to close off the Aadi Thiruvathirai festival.