After PS-1, Raja Raja Chola gets a state day in Tamil Nadu on Nov 3, his birth anniversary
Jayam Ravi played Raja Raja Chola in Mani Ratna's PS-1, introducing the ruler to mainstream audiences. (photo-DailyO)
With all the hype and box office success that Ponniyin Selavan -1 (PS-1) generated, one thing is for sure: Raja Raja Chola has suddenly become the most talked-about Indian monarch right now. And today, with the Tamil Nadu state government announcing November 3 (believed to be his birth anniversary) as an annual state event, Raja Raja’s popularity is bound to soar.
Was Raja Raja Chola actually born on November 3? Also known as Rajaraja I and Raja Raja Chozhan, historians estimate his birth to have taken place sometime around 947 AD. No specific date can be ascertained owing to the lack of records at that time.
A copper inscription from Thiruvalangadu, a village near Chennai, states that his birth name was Arunmozhi Varman and he was born on the day of the Sadhyam star (Aquarius-like star pattern) in the month of Aipassi. Also known as Ashvin in North Indian territories, Aipassi is the seventh month of the Hindu lunisolar calendar and Tamil solar calendar, often overlapping with September and October.
Why has TN government declared his birthday as a state day? The state government revering him seems obvious given Raja Raja Chola’s status as a good administrator, temple-builder, and the head of one of India’s strongest empires. But the current MK Stalin-led Cabinet in Tamil Nadu also hopes that this decision would satisfy Tamil factions who had already been demanding such a special event for his birthday.
Raja Raja Chola in popular culture: Before Jayam Ravi played the ruler in PS-1 to pan-Indian levels, Raja Raja Chola was extremely popular in pre-existing Tamil literature and cinema.
The most obvious example is Kalki Krishnamurthy’s novel series Ponniyin Selvan (the source material for Mani Ratnam’s film). The historical fiction epic reimagines the origins and reign of Raja Raja, mainly dramatising the struggles and conspiracies around his ascension. The title translates to “Son of Ponni”, another name for the monarch as Ponni (an ancient name of the river Kaveri) flows across major parts of the empire.
Serialised in weekly volumes of the Tamil magazine Kalki between 1950 and 1954, the novel became an instant hit among critics and mainstream audiences in the state. Divided into five parts and with 2,210 pages, the novel is considered as a modern epic and its English translations might only increase following the film adaptation’s popularity.
Other popular Tamil novels on his life include Nandipurathu Nayagi by Vembu Vikiraman, which revolves around Raja Raja’s naval expeditions; and Udayaar by Balakumaran, which deals with his later reign and his son’s accession.
1973’s Rajaraja Cholan is perhaps the earliest film on Raja Raja Chola’s life, a biopic starring Sivaji Ganesan in the titular role. Released in 1973, the film was also the first Tamil feature to be shot on the widescreen anamorphic CinemaScope lens. The film however failed to make a mark at the box office and Sivaji Ganesan in his autobiography acknowledged that the project tanked because it failed to display the magnificence of the Cholas, something that arguably Mani Ratnam tried achieving in PS-1.
In Hindi, the Chola king didn’t receive much coverage barring episodes 22 and 23 of Bharat Ek Khoj, the Doordarshan adaptation of Jawaharlal Nehru’s Discovery of India. Om Puri, a frequent actor on the historical show who also played Ashoka and Aurangzeb, appeared as Raja Raja Chola. Directed by Shyam Bengal, the 1989 two-part episode dealt with Chola’s ascension and his temple-building activities.
PS-1's success has definitely introduced Raja Raja Chola to newer audiences and as even its sequel will not cover the entirety of its reign, there is much scope for Indian pop culture to explore other aspects of his empire.
You can read more on the Cholas and PS-1 here: