GANGAIKONDACHOLZAPURAM by MAHAVIDVAN MEENATCHISUNDARAM PILLAI

GANGAIKONDACHOLZAPURAM by MAHAVIDVAN MEENATCHISUNDARAM PILLAI


The Grand Old Man of Tamil - UVSaminatha Aiyar was the student of MeenatchiSundaram Pillai of Thiruchi. 

 UVS Aiyar was staying with the Mahavidvan for 4 years until the PiLLai passed away. 

During the time, UVS Aiyar picked up a lot of information about various things from the PiLLai.  

Gangai Konda CholzaPuram was a freshly built capital city of the Cholzas. It was built from scratch by Rajendra Cholza I when he came to the throne. It remained the Cholza capital until the last days of the Imperial Cholza dynasty.

He built a very large and beautiful city with a huge temple dedicated to Siva. This was to commemorate his victory in his Ganga Campaign. The temple received a Mangala Saasanam from the great Siddhar Karuvur Thevar who was the Guru of his father RajaRaja Cholzar.
He also excavated a huge reservoir of fresh water. The city, the temple and the reservoir were all sanctified by the holy water brought in golden vessels from the Gnaga River. The vessels were said to have been carried on the heads of the kings of the captured countries.

On one occassion, Pillai took his students along with him when he went to stay with one of his relatives - Arumugam Pillai of Patteeswaram.
On the way to Patteeswaram, Pillai and his entourage passed the village of GangaiKonda Cholzapuram.
Pillai told them about the grandeur once possessed by GKCPuram. 
He took them to a spot in the fields called 'MaaLigai Medu'. It was a platform-like structure. Now it is paddy field.

Pillai told them that this was the site of the palace of the Cholzas. Hence it was called 'MaaLigai MEdu'.
The MaLigai MEdu is about one mile by one and a half mile in dimensions. 
There was another place called 'Cholzan MaaLigai'. In one place there were two walls. The walls was about the height of two palmyra trees. That would be about 60 feet or twenty metres in height. No buildings or edifices were seen. 
At a later stage the wall was broken down and the bricks were auctioned off.
The palace complex must have been someting of this size. Was it just one palace that was of this immensity or was it a palace complex? That would be million dollar question. 
But there were other palaces also. 
The main palace was in the city centre.
But at the present time, little remains. Much of the bricks have been taken away for other building works.
The Archeological Department did seem to have done any worthwhile excavation work in this place. 
My Kadaram Research includes the Kadaram Naval Campaign of Rajendra Cholza. GKCPuram was built by him. 
Hence my research also involves GKCPuram along with Kadaram.
I have been collecting facts and making notes about Kadaram and Naval Campaign and GKCPuram for nearly 45 years.
My postings in Agathiyar about GKCPuram, PalzaiyaaRai, Nandipuram and RajaRajaPuri were all derived from these notes.
I was going through the notes and came across some interesting information.
I willl put them up with newer comments later.