Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has announced Raja Raja Chola’s birth anniversary as a state holiday. It would be celebrated every year on 3 November.

The move comes after Dravidian activists stirred up a debate on the religion of the Cholas, post Ponniyin Selvan I’s release. Tamil film director Vetrimaaran had complained about ‘identity theft’ and said that Tamil icons were being ‘saffronised’.

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thirumavalavan, and actor Kamal Haasan supported Vetrimaaran and said that the Cholas were not Hindus. They said that though the Cholas followed Shaivism, they cannot be considered Hindus as Hinduism was a 'later construct'.

They pointed to clashes between Shaivites and Vaishnavites to say that there was no feeling of being ‘Hindu’ then.

The comments were condemned by BJP leaders like H Raja, Vanathi Srinivasan and Khushboo.

Vanathi Srinivasan said that conspiracies have been going on for hundreds of years to destroy Hindu culture and symbols in order to establish foreign religions in this land.

She alleged that Vetrimaran's speech is the proof that this conspiracy is still continuing. Vanathi Srinivasan also said that if Tamils are not Hindus then no one is Hindu in this land.

H Raja had wondered if the man who built grand Shiva temples, was a Muslim, or a Christian or a Buddhist.

Political commentator Sumanth Raman said in a tweet that even if the term Hinduism was not coined then, Shaivism is part of Sanatana Dharma and thus Raja Raja Chola was definitely a Hindu.

Tamil scholars like TS Krishnan countered them by citing inscriptions and other evidence for the Chola dynasty's devotion towards Vishnu and patronage of Vaishnavite traditions.

Notable among these evidences include an inscription of Raja Raja Chola’s influential sister Kundavai referring to herself as an ‘azhwar’ - a distinctly Vaishnavite term used for saints and most devoted bhakts of Vishnu.

Another inscription of Raja Raja, made during his lifetime, invokes both Shiva and Vishnu in the preamble.

Welcoming the announcement, BJP state president K Annamalai, said that while he thanks the Tamil Nadu government for this landmark decision, it should also carry out repair and maintenance of the existing memorial of Raja Raja Chola at Udayalur and build a grand statue of the emperor as a fitting tribute.

Also Read: Dravidian Activists Must Relax, Cholas Have Left Enough Records On Their 'Religion'

Chola religion debate

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