TN: Chola King's birth anniversary celebrations will be state event
The Tamil Nadu government has decided to celebrate Raja Raja Chola's birth anniversary a government event every year on Thursday, India Today reported. Mani Ratnam's recent film Ponniyin Selvan: I put the spotlight on the famous emperor as it claimed to be based on the rule of the Chola dynasty. Notably, there was also a controversy about the king's religious beliefs recently.
Why does this story matter?
The decision comes almost a month after a major controversy was triggered around the emperor. Last month legendary actor Kamal Haasan's stated that the Chola king was not Hindu prompting political parties, especially the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to react. He defended the filmmaker Vetrimaaran's comments on the Chola king's religious identity and stated that the term "Hindu" didn't exist during the Chola era.
Who was Raja Raja Chola?
The Chola ruler, or Raja Raja Chola, is regarded as a powerful emperor who waged numerous battles, extended his kingdom, and captured huge swaths of Pandya and Chera territory. He had reportedly invaded northern Sri Lanka, Lakshadweep, Thiladhunmadulu atoll, and sections of the Maldives. He also captured Kandalur Salai (Kerala), owing to his powerful navy and army fleet.
How did the controversy begin?
"Continuously, our symbols are being snatched from us. Saffronising Valluvar or calling Raja Raja Chola a Hindu king is constantly occurring," filmmaker Vetrimaaran had said. His comments come during a debate about Ponniyin Selvan: I. Vetrimaran cautioned that with cinema being a commoner's medium, it was important to understand politics to protect one's representation."
'Hindu' religion word didn't exist during Chola period: Haasan
"There was no name called 'Hindu religion' during Raja Raja Cholan's period," Haasan had said while seconding Vetrimaaran. "There was Vainavam, Shivam, and Samanam, and it was the Britishers who coined the term 'Hindu' since they didn't know how to refer to it collectively," he said adding that it's similar to how they changed Thuthukudi into Tuticorin.
BJP had reacted sharply
Soon after the video of remarks by the filmmaker went viral, BJP slammed him. BJP leader H Raja stated that Raja Raja Chola was indeed a Hindu king. "I am not well versed with history like Vetrimaaran, but let him point out two churches and mosques built by Raja Raja Chola. He called himself Sivapadha Sekaran. Wasn't he a Hindu then?" he had questioned.
A little about Ponniyin Selvan-I
Ponniyin Selvan: I, starring Vikram, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, and Aishwarya Rai, has been declared a commercial success. Though the Hindi version received lukewarm reviews, the film did exceptionally well in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam. In just a few weeks, the film surpassed the Rs 450-crore mark and is still playing in select theaters around the world.
