[Raj_Copi_Jin]

Rajaraja Chola - 1 was born on the "Iyppasi - Sathayam Naal" (Natchaththiram).

His 1023rd birth celebrations (since he became the king in A.D.985) took place for two days on the 6th and the 7th of this month - November 2008, at the Thanjavur Rajarajaeswaram (Birahatheeswarer) Temple the 'Periya Koil'

Even during the life time of Rajaraja Chola - 1 on the Iyppasi Sathayam day, festivals were celebrated in many Siva Temples in Tamil Nadu and elsewhere, commemorating the day of his birth.

The "Kalingaththu Parani" of poet Jeyamkondar too refers to this festival as ".....Sathayam Naal Vilaa Uthiyar (Chera) Mandalam vaiththum......"

In this connection, an extract from my other Thread titled the "Chola Empire and their relations with medieval Kerala" in this same Forum, is given below

".........The Aye Kingdom comprised of Nanchilnadu & Valluvanadu. The Rajaraja Chola after his capture of the Aye kingdom, re-named a village called Muttam in Valluvanadu as Mummudicholanallur, a subdivision of Aye Nadu which too was renamed as the Rajaraja Tennadu.

He provided grants to the temple known as Tirunandikkarai in this village of Muttam in the year A.D.1003, and ordered that in the month of Iyppasi (October/November) a festival to be celebrated ending on the day of Sathayam nakshaththiram (his birth star), on which day the image of the God at the temple of Tirunandiikkarai was to be bathed in the river, and a perpetual lamp named Rajarajan to be lit every day......."

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