125-foot statue of Raja Raja Chola to adorn Grand Chola Museum in Thanjavur

As part of its initiative to honour Tamil icons, the DMK government has decided to install a 125-foot statue of Chola king Raja Raja Chola at the Grand Chola Museum in Thanjavur, Public Works Department Minister E.V. Velu said.

“The statue will be modelled on the Raja Raja statue already installed near Sivaganga Park in Thanjavur by our leader Kalaignar Karunanidhi. The Chief Minister is particular about the project,” Mr. Velu said. He added that he had visited Gujarat to study the Statue of Unity, the 597-foot statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

The Grand Chola Museum is coming up on 52 acres at the Tamil University campus in Thanjavur at a cost of ₹56.41 crore. The work is in progress. While the museum project is being implemented by the Museums Department, the Public Works Department has been assigned the task of creating the statue, which will be the main attraction of the museum.

In his Budget speech for 2023-24, Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu announced that the museum would be set up to commemorate the contributions of the Cholas and preserve the art objects and monuments of that era.

Mr. Velu said the base and foundation of the Gujarat Patel statue were made of steel, while the statue itself was made of copper plates. “It was made in China and the project was executed by Larsen & Toubro (L&T). I am also holding talks with the same company to make the statue of Raja Raja Chola,” he said.

There are also small bronze idols of Raja Raja Chola and his wife Lokamadevi that were smuggled out of Tamil Nadu and recovered by the Tamil Nadu Police’s Idol Wing in 2018 from Ahmedabad.

The Grand Chola Museum will have galleries dedicated to heritage and historical legacy, Sangam-era Cholas, patronage of religions, administration and governance, architectural excellence, urban planning, water management, land management, art and culture — particularly Chola bronzes and stone sculptures — society, economy, literature, overseas trade, foreign expeditions, naval force, and military strength.