Chennai, Jul 23 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin extolled the greatness of emperor Rajendra Chola and said on Wednesday that the state government has undertaken works to embellish the Cholagangam tank in Ariyalur district.

The day marks the commencement of the Aadi Thiruvathirai festival celebrating the birth anniversary of Rajendra Chola I (1014–1044 CE), known for his maritime expedition.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the chief guest at the grand finale of the festival on July 27 at Gangaikonda Cholapuram.

The Tamil Nadu government has taken up tourism development works in view of the Aadi Thiruvathirai festival.

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Also known as Ponneri, the Cholagangam waterbody is a massive tank developed by the Chola king near Gangaikonda Cholapuram about 1,000 years ago to mark the success of his Gangetic military expedition. He later shifted his capital to Gangaikonda Cholapuram from Thanjavur.

The CM allocated Rs 12 crore to develop the Cholagangam tank to benefit 1,374 acres of cultivable land in seven villages near Jayankondam.

Also, tourism development works, including creating walkways and parks, would be taken up for Rs 7.25 crore and a museum would be established at a cost of Rs 22.1 crore, he had said in a release.

"In continuation of these, on the birth anniversary of Rajendra Chola, I am delighted to announce that water resource development works and tourism development works will be carried out in the Cholagangam lake created by him," Stalin said in a post on the social media platform 'X' today, while extolling the greatness of the Chola king.

He claimed that the Dravidian model government issued an order in 2021 to celebrate the birth anniversary of the Tamil king Rajendra Chola the great, who was known by many honorifics like Gangai Kondan and Kadaram Kondan, as an annual state festival on Aadi Thiruvathirai.

"I announced that a museum would be set up in his capital Gangai Konda Cholapuram to showcase the historical significance and overseas trade links of the Chola Empire, and laid the foundation stone for it last January. It is emerging to attract visitors," the Chief Minister added.

Meanwhile, the administration in several districts in Tamil Nadu announced local holidays on July 23 (Aadi Thiruvathirai, which is Aardhra star falling in the Tamil month of Aadi) to mark Rajendra Chola I's birth anniversary, July 24, observed as Aadi Amavasai, and July 28 marking the celebration of the birth star of Goddess Andal as Aadi Pooram.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)