The 1037th birth anniversary of Emperor Raja Raja Cholan was celebrated in Thanjavur district on Thursday.
Pampapadaiyur, a small hamlet near Kumbakonam, was the cynosure of all eyes with the State Ministers participating in the “Sathaya Vizha” at the Arignar Anna Marriage Hall, Periyar Samathuvapuram in the hamlet. After unveiling a portrait of the Emperor and offering floral tributes to him, Minister for Information and Publicity M. P. Saminathan released a souvenir and a calendar highlighting the achievements and greatness of the Chola Dynasty, brought out by the function organisers, the ‘Pampapadaiyur Mamannar Raja Raja Cholan Varalartru Aaivu Matrum Panpattu Maiyam’.
Minister for School Education, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, DMK Rajya Sabha MP, M.Shanmugham, Kumbakonam MLA, G. Anbalagan and others participated in the function.
Meanwhile, on Thursday morning, Collector Dinesh Ponraj Oliver accompanied by Superintendent of Police Ravali Priya Gandhapuneni garlanded the Emperor’s statue at the Raja Rajan Manimandapam complex near the Collector’s camp office.
He and the District Police Superintendent also garlanded the life-size statue of Raja Raja Cholan installed near the World Heritage Monument – the Big Temple after the Dharumapuram Aadheenam Sri Masilamani Desika Gnanasambandha Paramacharya Swamigal adorned the statue with a silk cloth and garlanded the same.
Talking to the media, the Dharmapuram Aadheenam thanked the Tamil Nadu government for according the Government function status to the “Sathaya Vizha” celebrations organised every year on the birth star date – Sathayam falling in the Tamil month of Ippasi – of Raja Raja Cholan.
Stating that the Emperor was a staunch Saivaite, the Aadheenam said that the Tamil community would have lost the literature - “Thevaram” and “Thiruvachagam” had the Great Emperor not retrieved and copied them on palm leaves during his regime.
The birth anniversary of the Emperor was celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety at Udaiyalur near Kumbakonam where the mortal remains of Raja Raja Cholan are believed to be interned. The descendant of the Chola dynasty, Soorappa Chozhaganar of Pichchavaram near Chidambaram participated in the events organised by the Sivapathasekara Eeswaramudaiyar Trust, Udaiyalur at the ‘pallipadai’ (tomb) of the Emperor on Thursday.
The festival came to an end with the procession of decorated idols of Sri Brihadeeswarar and the Great Emperor, Raja Raja Cholan along the four Raja Veedhis of the Old Thanjavur Town.
