Rajaraja Cholan birth anniversary to be govt event

CHENNAI: The birth anniversary of the famous king Rajaraja Cholan, which is celebrated on November 3, would be a government event from this year onwards, Chief Minister M K Stalin announced on Wednesday.

He said that the memorial of the king in Thanjavur would also be renovated and given a new look.

The decision had been taken on the basis of requests from some quarters, an official press release said, adding that some groups in Thanjavur had been celebrating the anniversary regularly.

Rajaraja Cholan, credited with the building of the Big Temple in Thanjavur, caught the imagination of the common people after the film Ponniyin Selvan I was released recently.

The film, based on the historic novel written by Kalki, became a blockbuster with crowds thronging the theatres to watch it from the day of release.