Modi’s participation in the Rajendra Chola birth anniversary celebrations at Gangaikonda Cholapuram is not seen as a neutral cultural gesture, but as a strategic political move.
Published Jul 25, 2025 | 5:00 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 25, 2025 | 5:00 PM
PM Modi in Tamil Nadu.(X)
Synopsis: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled for a two-day visit to Tamil Nadu. He has visited Tamil Nadu 41 times since taking office in 2014. However, despite Modi and Amit Shah frequently visiting Tamil Nadu and organising events, there is little evidence that this approach has significantly boosted the BJP’s standing in the state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled for a two-day visit to Tamil Nadu on Saturday, 26 July. On Saturday, he will travel to Thoothukudi to inaugurate the expanded section of the Thoothukudi Airport. Later that day, he will head to Tiruchirappalli.
On Sunday, the prime minister will participate in the birth anniversary celebrations of Rajendra Chola I at Gangaikonda Cholapuram.
This visit marks Modi’s first trip to Tamil Nadu after the AIADMK allied with the BJP after cutting ties with the saffron party a few years ago. Sources suggest that Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) and 13 other leaders may meet with the prime minister during his visit.
Prime Minister Modi has visited Tamil Nadu 41 times since taking office in 2014, including 16 times for political events of the BJP. Notably, 18 of these visits have occurred after 2021, suggesting an increased frequency in recent years.
Among these visits, 17 were to Chennai, six to Coimbatore, five to Kanyakumari and four to Rameswaram. The upcoming visit to Thoothukudi will be his second.
However, Modi’s visits have often been met with resistance, with slogans like #GoBackModi trending across the state and social media.
Critics have accused the BJP of appropriating Tamil identity, from quoting Tirukkural in speeches to now celebrating Rajendra Chola, a historically significant Tamil emperor.
The BJP has long sought to establish a foothold in Tamil Nadu. While the party has made inroads in other southern states like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu has remained elusive.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, the BJP, in alliance with the AIADMK, won four seats. Although the alliance broke in 2023, it has now been reformed ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
Meanwhile, the BJP and its affiliates like the Hindu Munnani have launched cultural campaigns such as the Murugan Maanadu in Madurai and Vel Yatras (2020) across the state, emphasising religious and cultural icons like Lord Murugan.
Nationally, Modi has frequently referenced Tirukkural and launched initiatives like the Kashi Tamil Sangamam, aimed at showcasing historical and cultural links between Tamil Nadu and Varanasi.
Modi’s participation in the Rajendra Chola birth anniversary celebrations at Gangaikonda Cholapuram is not seen as a neutral cultural gesture, but as a strategic political move.
Since 2023, the Tamil Nadu government has recognised Rajendra Chola’s birthday as a state celebration. However, several people question Modi’s sudden participation, asking whether it signals an attempt to appropriate the Chola legacy into the BJP’s nationalistic narrative.
This isn’t the first time the BJP has invoked the Chola dynasty. When inaugurating the new Parliament building in 2023, Modi installed a Sengol (sceptre) said to symbolise the Chola model of justice and governance — a move that also drew praise and criticism alike.
Modi’s scheduled visit to Gangaikonda Cholapuram — the last capital of the Chola empire and site of the majestic Cholishwara Temple built by Rajendra Chola — is stirring political debate again.
Rajendra Chola I, who ruled in the 11th century CE, is among the most celebrated Chola emperors.
He led military expeditions as far north as the Ganges, defeating several northern kings and famously bringing back Ganges water to Tamil Nadu.
He also conquered Kadaram (present-day Malaysia), earning titles like Gangaikondan (Conqueror of Ganga) and Kadaram Kondan (Conqueror of Kadaram).
Speaking to South First, senior journalist Priyan Srinivasan raised a pertinent question: Will North Indian leaders acknowledge this Tamil emperor’s dominance over the Ganges region?
He noted the irony that Modi — who will perform rituals with Ganges water — might be inadvertently legitimising the Chola conquest of the north.
According to Srinivasan, while the BJP may try to claim Tamil icons like Thiruvalluvar or Chola emperors, their Hindutva lens distorts these figures, distancing them from how Tamil people view their heritage.
For example, BJP’s version of Thiruvalluvar wears saffron robes, whereas Tamil Nadu has long embraced him in white garments.
In Madurai’s Tirupparankundram, where a Dargah and Murugan temple coexist on the same hill, the BJP attempts to impose exclusivist narratives that don’t reflect the region’s syncretic traditions.
Srinivasan argued that these symbolic acts do not resonate with Tamil voters, particularly when the BJP withholds development funds, blocks the Keezhadi excavation report, and yet expects political support.
It is common for parties to use nationally recognised figures as electoral mascots in regions where they lack grassroots strength.
However, despite Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah frequently visiting Tamil Nadu and organising events with celebrities like Pawan Kalyan, there is little evidence that this approach has significantly boosted the BJP’s standing in the state.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had an 11 percent vote share in Tamil Nadu but only after contesting 23 constituencies. In 2019, it contested just five seats and received over five percent of the vote share.
Srinivasan emphasised that this marginal increase is not real growth. If the BJP truly wants to grow in Tamil Nadu, it must understand and respect local culture, language, and political aspirations, rather than merely appropriating Tamil symbols for electoral gain.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
