Ganesha in Japan

KANGITEN (Elephant-Headed Deity known as Ganesha in Hinduism)

Image : Kangiten Statue near entrance to Fukuoka Tower 20 minutes from Nishi-Arashi Station.

In Japan, Ganesha is also known generally by three names: Binyakaten, the generic appellation Binayaka meaning Vinayaka, Shoten (Aryadeca) and Kangiten. His other names are Ganabachi or Ganapati and Ganwha (Ganesha). The third epithet Kangiten applies to a unique type of Ganesa evolved in China and Japan known as the double (two-paired). Kangiten is a god of happiness; or joy who brings prosperity and promotes well-being. Thus, the Japanese Ganesa, like the Indian prototype, is both a vighnakarta, obstacle creator and vighnaharta, obstacle remover, in his tantric form he radiates happiness, joy.

Kangiten, ( Lord Ganesha) is worshipped as a central object of devotion. Kangiten symbolizes conjugal affection, and is thus prayed to by couples hoping for children. Statues of this deity are relatively rare in Japan -- most are kept hidden from public view and used in secretive rituals of the Tendai and Shingon sects of Esoteric Buddhism.


he Vedic Gods of Japan

Dr Subhash Kak

The Vedas tell us that the gods (deva in Sanskrit) reside within the mind. But since physical reality is also experienced as a construction of the mind, therefore, one may see the Vedic gods in the physical space and its relationships. These conceptions led to the detailed exposition of the devas in yoga, tantra as well as in architecture and iconography.

The Vedic way recognizes that reality is a synthesis of opposites. We are suspended between being and becoming, between hazy memories of the past and fears for the future. Within each of us lie not only sublime thoughts but also avarice and greed. We are the battlefield of a struggle between the gods and demons. The opposites require an act of balance so that the individual’s relationship to Truth is articulated only partly by means of abstract ideas, and it needs art – in performance and representation – to complete the picture. The two poles of the approach to reality are provided by the Upanishadic mahāvākyas: “I am Brahman” or “I am the Universe” (aham brahmāsmi) and “Not this, not this” (neti, neti). These lead to two artistic styles: one rich and textured, the other spare and austere. One speaks of infinite possibility and structure (Brahman), the other of nothingness (shunyata). Each of these is the ground of the other; within one lays the other in endless recursive details. This is the essence of the paradox taught in the Vedas to help one learn that one is not a thing, but a process. On the one hand are the maddeningly complex rituals, on the other the simplicity of dhyāna (meditation). Both these styles are to be incorporated within the life process.

The Western philological approach to the Vedas not only misses this understanding of the Vedas, it has misguided generations of scholars and laypersons into a simplistic view of Indian culture. It sees Hinduism and Buddhism in dichotomous terms that appear absurd to those within the tradition. The Buddha himself affirmed on the basis of his own direct experience the existence of the various elements of the Vedic world view, including the existence of many hells, heavens, and various supernatural beings like devas, asuras (demons), and rāk¬asas. The Buddha claimed to have seen these realms and beings with his divine sight, and he also claimed to have observed how sentient beings cycle through these diverse forms of existence in the interminable process of transmigration. The Buddha, therefore, took for granted the Vedic cosmic geography wherein all these natural and supernatural beings lived. It is no wonder then that the anthology Subhasitaratnakosa of Vidyakara (c. 1100) a Buddhist abbot at the monastery of Jagaddala in present-day Bangladesh, has 20 verses to the Buddha, but 73 to Shiva, and 40 to Vishnu.

The philologists and the anthropologists wonder what Shiva and Vishnu are doing in a book by a Buddhist. Neither can they explain how the Vedic devas continue to be a part of the Mahayana pantheon. Their texts absurdly describe the Vedic devas of Japan and China as
Buddhist since according to legend they became followers of the Buddha when he started preaching. The Buddha in the Mahayana tradition is the principle of Understanding, who fits in perfectly within the Vedic conception, and we see this most emphatically in the Lotus Sutra (Saddharma Pundarika Sutra).

Living in an isolated valley, Kashmiris have maintained many old customs, although their recent tragic history has been responsible for much loss of the meaning of their ceremonies. For example, we were told of six psychological states of the existence, where the lowest three states represented (1) ideas of evil people, (2) ghosts of unfulfilled desires, and (3) our animal nature. The highest three states are (4) asuras, who take the bodies to be all that we are; (5) humans; and (6) devas, who embody the essence of the various tattvas (or their combinations) that constitutes the world of the mind. There were ceremonies in which the yak¬as were invoked. We didn’t quite understand these ceremonies although we were reminded of their connection to architecture and directions by their appearance in the ruins at Avantipur and Martanda.  The Vedic devas went to China and Japan through Kashmir. The fourth great council was held there under the patronage of the Kushana emperor Kanishka (r. 78-120) in around 100 CE, where monks of the Sarvastivadin School compiled a new canon. This became the basis of Mahayana. The Vedic devas were a part of this understanding, as was dhyana of the Vedic tradition (Ch’an in China and Zen in Japan) with devotion to Ishvara (Shiva) as its ultimate objective (Yogasutra 1.23). The Parihasapura monuments (near Srinagar) of the Chankuna stupa (Karkota dynasty, 8th century) “served as a model all across Asia from the Pamir Mountains to Japan”.

The Kashmiri images of the Vedic devas were also much copied. The art historian Susan Huntington reminds us: “The Yunkang caves in China, the wall paintings from several sites in Inner Asia, especially Qizil and Tun-huang, the paintings from the cache at Tun-huang, and some iconographic manuscripts from Japan, for example, should be evaluated with Kashmir in mind as a possible source.” Vedic ideas were also taken to Japan by the sea route from South India and Southeast Asia. That serves to explain the specific transformations of some Sanskrit terms into Japanese through Tamil phonology. For example, consider the transformation of Sanskrit homa, the Vedic fire rite, into Japanese goma, where the initiation is given by the Achari (Sanskrit Acharya). The Sanskrit mantras in Japan are written the Siddham script of South India.

In this article, I present the main Vedic gods that are popular in present-day Japan. I begin with the Vedic fire and consecration ceremonies and then describe the gods of the directions and a few goddesses.

Goma-Homa

Homa, Vedic fire rite, remains central to religion in Japan. It consists of mantra, mudra, and mandala. In the Vedic fire-ritual manuals, some instructions regarding mudra are given. For example, the ladles are to be held in the Shankha-mudra, and when the priest enters the chamber, he is to put his right palm downward on his left palm at right angles and close the hands. The fire-ritual is the quintessential Vedic ritual, emphasizing the process of transformation.The artistic parallels of this ritual is presented most clearly by Kapila Vatsyayan.

Abhisheka

Another Vedic rite that is widely practiced is abhisheka (consecration). The initiates are given a potion to drink before they enter the room. Inside, the initiate places the right foot on an elephant, which represents Ganesha or Vinayaka, (Kangitan in Japanese) as he is the remover of obstacles. Next, the initiates rub powdered incense on their hands, and dab it on their foreheads and also on their tongues, and then swallow the potion.  Now the candidate enters the first room, where the samaya vow (sammaya-kai) – the vow of secrecy -- is administered. They hear hymns being chanted as they are given instructions as to the meaning of the rite by the priest. Another image of Ganesha is seen surrounded by offerings.

Two mandalas are used in the ceremonies: the Garbhadhatu (womb mandala) and the Vajradhatu (diamond mandala). The candidates are first initiated into the garbhadhatu; the following day they are initiated into the vajradhatu. The candidates are each blindfolded with a strip, white for the womb mandala, red for the vajra mandala. A folded paper flower, white or red depending on the mandala, is put between their joined hands, with their fingers slightly crossed at the end, and then they are led in front of the mandala in a central room.
The candidate goes through a landscape-screened labyrinth of the oblong buildings (corresponding to the Vedic goddess temple), to its centre, the womb, (the garbhagrha section of the Indian temple), where the mandala is located. The squares of the mandala corresponding to the deities are left blank, with white circles. A homa fire is burning in the chamber.

The candidate now is given a flower to throw at the mandala. The circle on which it lands becomes the candidate's tutelary deity for life, and this is whispered into his ear by the master. Now the blindfold is taken off and the candidate is taken to a side table. A crown is placed on his head, showing his initiation. Water from a well has been drawn in advance with special mantras to make it symbolic of the five oceans. Now the master pours five drops of it on the crown of the candidateand consecrates him as a monarch, cakravartin, of dharma. Next the master takes a bronze needle (Shalaka in Sanskrit) and applies it to his eye, saying “the scales of ignorance have fallen from your eyes; your eyes are open.” Then he takes a bronze mirror and holds it up to the newly initiated master (no longer a candidate), for him to see his face.

This is the illumination just as it is done in inaugurating a new mūrti or a new icon, when the mirror is held up to the icon so that the first gaze of the newly consecrated icon is caught in the mirror and reflected back at the icon. As the icon animates itself, the newly enlightened master is enlightened by himself. The new master has become an acharya (and he can ordain or initiate others. He can perform rituals which increase in strength and power, and above all he can call upon his tutelary deity at any time. He has entered the mandala. He did not just go into the room, but actually became part of the mandala. He has become a living deva.

The devas are called tenbu (or merely ten, when used as a suffix after the deva name). There are a large number of devas, depending on how you count them. One may consider them as capacities of the mind, as attributes, or as projections in space and time.

Guardians of All Directions

As guardians of directions, the devas are often listed as a group of twelve that includes the lordship of the four quarters and four semi-quarters (the eight dikpalas, given below as by Amarsiha in Amarakośa), up and down and the sun and moon. The last four may also be considered as the three divisions of the world: the earth, the moon (for atmosphere), the sun (for sky), and the transcending Brahman (who may be taken to represent heaven). Representations of the Twelve Devas were made in 1127 C.E. to be hung at the annual, New Year’s ceremony of esoteric prayers, held at Shingon-in, in the Imperial Palace in Kyoto and are now in the Kyoto National Museum.

Spiritual States

In addition to the devas (the highest expression of the tattvas) are other spiritual states that represent other mixed states of being. According to the Lotus Sūtra, they may be viewed as part of the human nature in the sequence: Deva, Garuda, Yaksha, Gandharva, Kinnara, Asura, Naga, Mahoraga, where the spectrum ranges from the celestial to the terrestrial. There is an opposition at the ends, such as between Deva and Mahoraga (great attachment); Garuda and Naga; Yaksha and Asura; and Gandharva and Kinnara. These eight classes are called the Hachibushu in Japanese.  Tenbu (Skt: Deva) The devas (Indra is their chief) reside in heaven. These 33 gods of the Vedas control the world of desire. Above them is the Heaven of Brahma (the spiritual world pure of desire), including the Four Heavens of Meditation in the Realm of Form and the Fourfold Realm of Formlessness. The devas are also known as the Suras (those having the ambrosia).

Ryu (Skt: Naga).

Serpent-like creatures, these are spirits associated with water. They control rivers, lakes and seas, and they dwell deep in the ocean. They represent the instinctive forces of nature.

Yasha (Skt: Yaksha), guardian of directions and wealth. Originally asuras from the earth, the Yakshas were later accepted by the devas. They are guardians of the earth’s treasures and protectors of the gates and moats of their king Kubera.

Kendatsuba (Skt: Gandharva). They are celestial musicians to Indra and husbands of apsaras. Dhatarashtra (Protector of the Nation - the Strong) is their lord. They are erotic and are the patrons of marriageable girls.

Ashura (Skt: Asura). Demons, enemies of the devas and Indra, with whom they are forever at war. They are the aspects of our nature that take the body to be the sole self. They thrive on ambition, anger and jealousy. They represent our personal demons.

Karura (Skt: Garuda) It is the enemy and devourer of serpents (Nagas). It is the vehicle of Vishnu and it carries the wish-fulfilling (Chintamani) gem around its neck.

Kinnara (Skt: Kinnara).  They have the heads of men and bodies of birds or horses. They are also musicians like the Gandharvas.

Magoraka (Skt: Mahoraga). He embodies uncontrolled attachment, and depicted as a monstrous snake. He is ‘human but not human.’

Mahakala (Daikokuten)

Mahakala is Time incarnate, who is either Death or the divinity who helps one deal with potential disaster and death (like Yama for Nachiketa in Katha Upanishad). Thus Daikokuten as Mahakala is the patron god of farmers and peasants. He is identified with the Shinto figure Okuninushi no Mikoto. In western Japan, Daikoku is identified with the protection of the ricefields and worshiped as the god of agriculture. On his chest he has a golden sun disk and in his hand he holds a magic mallet (with male and female symbols) which fulfils all wishes. His familiar is the rat, and he is a friend of children.

Kichijoten or  Kisshouten (Lakshmi)

Lakshmi is the consort of Vishnu and is the goddess of fortune. The goddess of luck and of beauty, she is the patroness of song and dance, and protectress of the geishas. She is the sister of the war god Bishamon.

Benzaiten (Sarasvati)

She is the goddess of knowledge, patroness of music, and the fine arts (dancing, acting, visual). In India she carries the vina, and in Japan she carries the biwa (a short-necked lute that is related to the Chinese pipa). Sarasvati is also the River Goddess and so her shrines are almost invariably in the neighborhood of water -- the sea, a river, or a pond.

The Twelve Yakshas (Juni-shinsho)

The Yakshas are the warriors in the service of the guardian of wealth, the deva Kubera, and they are also the guardians of treasury and gardens.

Conclusions

The Vedic devas are the creative forces of the spirit that help the individual connect with the Self. The Japanese religion, through its practices of the homa, abhisheka, and dhyana, has maintained continuity with the original revelation. A more vital connection with the
Vedas would lead to a discovery of new insights related to the central role of the devas in transformation and transcendence in the arts of Asia.

DHRUVA STAMBHA or VIJAYA STAMBH and not KUTUB MINAR

VIJAYA STAMBH AND NOT KUTUB MINAR ...

Kutub Minar: Its Origins

P.N.Oak

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About the Kutub Minar itself there is overwhelming proof that it was a Hindu tower existing hundreds of years before Kutubuddin and therefore it is wrong to ascribe the tower to Kutubuddin.

The township adjoining the Kutub Minar is known as Mehrauli. That is a Sanskrit word Mihira-awali. It signifies the town- ship where the well known astronomer Mihira of Vikramaditya's court lived along with his helpers, mathemati- cians and technicians. They used the so-called Kutub tower as an observation post for astronomical study. Around the tower were pavilions dedicated to the 27 constellations of the Hindu Zodiac.

Kutubuddin has left us an inscription that he destroyed these pavilions. But he has not said that he raised any tower. The ravaged temple was renamed as Kuwat-ul-Islam mosque.

Stones dislodged from the so-called Kutub Minar have Hindu images on one side with Arabic lettering on the other. Those stones have now been removed to the Museum. They clearly show that Muslim invaders used to remove the stone- dressing of Hindu buildings, turn the stones inside out to hide the image facial and inscribe Arabic lettering on the new frontage.

Bits of Sanskrit inscriptions can still be deciphered in the premises on numerous pillars and walls. Numerous images still adorn the cornices though disfigured.

The tower is but a part of the surrounding structures. It is not that while the temples around are earlier Hindu build- ings there was sufficient space left in between for Kutubud- din to come and build a tower. Its very ornate style proves that it is a Hindu tower. Mosque minarets have plane sur- faces. Those who contend that the tower was meant to call the Muslim residents to prayer have perhaps never tried to go to the top and try to shout to the people below. Had they done so they would have found out for themselves that no one on the ground can hear them from that height. Such absurd claims have been made to justfy Muslim authorship of earlier Hindu buildings.

Another important consideration is that the entrance to the tower faces north and not the west as is enjoined by Islamic theology and practice.

At either side of the entrance is the stone lotus flower emblem which also proves that it was a Hindu building. The stone flowers are a very important sign of the Hindu author- ship of medieval buildings. Muslims never use such flowers on the buildings they construct.

The frieze Patterns on the tower show signs of tampering, ending abruptly or in a medley of incongruent lines. The Arabic lettering is interspersed with Hindu motifs like lotus buds hanging limp. Sir Sayyad Ahmad Khan, a staunch Muslim and a scholar, has admitted that the tower is a Hindu building.

If one were to hoover in an aeroplane over the top of the tower the various galleries sliding into each other from top to bottom appear like a 24-petal lotus in full bloom. The figure 24 being a multiple of 8 is sacred in Vedic tradi- tion. Even the brick red colour of the tower is sacred to the Hindus.
The Hindu title of the tower was Vishnu Dhwaj (i.e. Vishnu's standard) alias Vishnu Stambh alias Dhruv Stambh (i.e., a polar pillar) obviously connoting an astronomical observation tower. The Sanskrit inscription in Brahmi script on the non-rusting iron pillar close by proclaims that the lofty standard of Vishnu was raised on the hillock named Vishnupad Giri. That description indicates that a statue of the reclining Vishnu initiating the creation was consecrated in the central shrine there which was ravaged by Mohammad Ghori and his henchman Kutubuddin. The pillar was raised at the command is an ancient Hindu king who had made great conquests in the East and the West.

The tower had seven storeys representing the week of those only five exist now. The sixth was dismantled, hauled down and re-erected on the lawns closeby. The seven storeys would ideally represent the 7 chakras, transcending which one has the possibility of becoming one with the cosmic source, or attaining moksha - which is why the below is even more significant.

The seventh storey had actually a statue of the four-faced Brahma holding the Vedas at the beginning of creation. Above Brahma was a white marble canopy with gold bell patterns laid in it. The top three stories were in mle. They were ravaged by iconoclastic muslims who detested the Brahma statue. The Muslim raiders also destroyed the reclining Vishnu image at the bottom.

The iron pillar was the Garud Dhwaj alias Garud Stambh, i.e, the sentinel post of the Vishnu temple.

On one side was an elliptical enclave formed by 27 Nakshatra (constellation) temples. A gigantic red-stone, ornate gate- way led to the sacred enclave known as Nakshatralaya. There- fore gateway is traditionally known as Alaya-Dwar.

Cunningham twists the traditional Hindu name to fraudulently ascribe the great doorway to Sultan Allauddin though Allaud- din himself makes no such claim.

By Allauddin's time the surroundings were totally crumbling ruins. Why would Allauddin want to raise an ornate gigantic gatewwa(of the Hindu orange colour) leading from nowhere to nowhere ?

The theory propounded by interested Muslims that it is a muazzin's tower is a motivated lie. No muazzin would even for a day adept a job where he has to climb and unclimb five times a day a flight of 365 narrowing, curving steps in the dark confines of the tower. He is bound to fall and die through sheer exhaustion.

The arched gateway of the adjoining so-called Kuwat-ul-Islam mosque is in no way different from the ornate archways of temples in Gujarat. The frieze patterns on this building too. The frieze patterns on this building too show signs of tampering proving that Muslim conquerors transposed stones at random to ease their conscience in readying earlier tem- ples for use as mosques.

The tower girth is made up of exactly 24 folds, arcs and triangles alternating. This shows that the figure 24 had social prominence and significance in the premises. The apertures for letting in light are 27. Considered along with the 27 constellation pavilions mentioned earlier it leaves no doubt that the tower too was an astronomical observation pole.

In Arabic the term 'Kutub Minar' signifies an astronomical Tower. That was how it was described to Sultan and later referred to in court correspondence. In course of time the name of Sultan Kutubuddin came to be un- wittingly associated with the Kutub Tower leading to the misleading assertion that Kutubuddin built the Kutub Minar.

Iron strips have been used to keep the huge boulders fastened together in the construction of the tower. Similar strips have been used in the stone walls of Agra Fort. In my book Tajmahal was a Rajput Palace I have already dealt at some length on the origin of the fort and proved that it existed during pre-muslim times.

Therefore it is apparent that the use of iron strips to keep together stones in huge buildings was a Hindu device. That device used in the so- called Kutub Minar in Delhi another proof of its having been a pre-Muslim Hindu tower. If a 24-petal lotus is pulled up from its centre it will form a tower of that pattern. Lotus pattern is never Muslim.

Muslim captors dismantled surface stones of the so-called Kutab tower in Delhi, reversed them and inscribed Koran on the exterior. This Muslim forgery in stone came to light as those stones started falling off the tower. Two such pieces are seen here with Hindu images carved on one side and subsequent Islamic lettering on the other.

(Notes in Blue are additions to the original text)

Untold story of the Qutub Minar 

 Mamluk Sultan Altamash (Iltutmish) built the Minarah, which till date is the tallest rubble masonry minaret on earth. Then why do we call it the Qutub Minar?




The Qutb Minar (also spelled as Qutub Minar or Kutb Minar) is world’s tallest rubble masonry minaret and a world heritage site in Delhi. It is situated within the Qutb Complex, which has been the centre of the first city of Delhi since the first Muslim ruler stepped here. Before Muhammad-bin-Sam (Muhammad Ghori) defeated Prithvi Raj Chauhan, this land was with Tomar Rajpoots & Chauhans (Arkpal Tomar gave it to his grandson Prithvi). Chauhan extended the walls of Lal Kot to create Qila Rai Pithora. Ghori left his governor Qutb-ud-din Aibak to rule India after defeating Prithvi Raj Chauhan in 1060 A.D. and thus the slave dynasty started in India. There is a huge minar in the heart of this city, which most people attribute to this first Islamic ruler of north India – Qutb-ud-Din Aibak. But is this true? This article unfolds a story, least discussed in History.


The Qutb Complex



The Qutb Complex was originally a site with 27 Hindu and Jain Temples. These temples were destroyed by the Islamic invaders to obtain stone and raw material for their mosques and other buildings. These temples existed much before Ghori was even born.

As the rulers from slave dynasty planned their buildings, they were short of raw material. By demolishing the majestic temples, they served another very important purpose. To ensure stronghold, it was important that the backbone of religion prevailing in conquered land is crushed. Destroying temples meant that the new Islamic Invaders had no respect for the religion being practiced by locals. They were in such hurry of completing the job, that they were not able to deface the statues properly. Even today, the remains of temples can be seen within the Qutb Complex.
The First Jama Masjid

For those who don’t know, ‘Jama Masjid’ (or Jami Masjid or Jumma Masjid or Masjid-e-Jami) is the majestic Friday Mosque built for the Muslim population of the city. Inscriptions on the Qutb Minar suggested that Qutb-ud-Din Aibak built this Mosque as the first building after stepping on Indian Land. This was the oldest mosque of North India. There are few mosques built in Tamil Nadu and Kerala before this. Qutb-ud-din Aibak was ruling over Delhi from 1206 to 1210 AD. There is a confusion over the actual name of this mosque. These days, we call it Quwwat-ul-Islam (Might of Islam) but the old books suggest that its name was Qubbat-e-Islam. R.N.Munshi even writes it as ‘Qutb-ul-Islam’. Further, Munshi quotes the translation of the inscription written on the walls of Mosque (done by Thomas in his book – Pathan Kings):


Kutb-ud-Din Aibak, on whom be the mercy of God, constructed this mosque.

This fortress was conquered and this Masjid Jami was built during the months of the year 587 by the great and mighty commander-in-chief Kutb-ul-Dawlat-wa-ul-Din, the commander of commanders, Aibeg Sultan. May God exalt his helpers. Materials from 27 idol temples, each of which cost twice thousand into thousand Diliwals, have been used in this Masjid. May Almighty God send mercy on him, who prays for the rest of the builder.
Quote Ref: The History of the Kutb Minar (Delhi) by R. N. Munshi (1911)

Later this mosque was extended by Alaudin Khilji and a college (Madrasa) was added to it. When Khilji died, he was buried in the same mosque and his tomb, though not decorated with glorifying marble and inscriptions, was built in same complex.


Origin of Qutb Minar

According to the popular belief, the Qutb Minar (or Qutub Minar) was built by the first Islamic ruler of North India, Qutubud-din Aibak. However, I have found numerous proofs that he neither had funds, nor time (in his tiny 4 year regime), to build, or even commence such a majestic structure. It appears to me that associating it with Sultan Qutb-ud-din Aibak was a “historian’s mistake”. (or more likely) a colossal fraud.

If you read historians & travellers, who came to India during the Sultanate period, you will find that they honour this Minar as ‘Sultan Altamash’s Minar’. Hasan Nizami dedicated his work Taj-ul-Maasir (the crown of exploits) to sultan Aibak but also mentioned major events from the period of his predecessor and successor. There is no reference to any such Minar in this important piece of work, which talks about period after 7 years of death of Aibak. If Qutubuddin Aibak even dreamed about (if not commissioned) this minar, then we must have found atleast some mention in this book. But Hasan Nizami do talk about the Jami Masjid of Delhi built by Aibak in following manner:


Kutb-ud-Din built the Jami Masjid at Delhi, and adorned it with the stones and gold obtained from the temples which had been demolished by elephants, and covered it with inscriptions in Yoghra, containing the divine commands.”

Following are the other prominent travel historians of related period
Ibn Asir (with his work Kamil-ut-Tawarikh aka Tarikh-i-Kamil)
Ata Malik Juwaini aka Alau-ud-din Juwaini (with his work Tarikh-i-Jahan-Kusha)
Maulana Nuruddin Muhammed ‘Ufi, who lived in Delhi during Altamash’s period (with his work Jami-ul-Hikayat wa Liwami-ul-Riwayat)
Minhaj-i-Siraj (with his work Tabkat-i-Nasiri)

The above authors make no mention of Minar. If it was one of the biggest construction of era, these people, who were living in Delhi and writing particularly on Qutb-ud-Din Aibak must have mentioned about it.

Fatuhat-i-Feroz Shahi, written by Sultan Feroz Shah Tughlaq himself has a mention of Qutb Minar. It says:


“The minara of Sultan Muizz-ud-din Sam had been struck by lightning. I repaired it and raised it higher than it was before”

It should be noted that Feroz Shah Tughlaq also repaired other monuments and mention correct names like Hauz-i-Shamsi, Hauz-i-Alai, Madrasa of Altamash, Rukn-ud-din’s Tomb, Sultan Jalal-ud-Din’s Tomb and so on. Tarikh-i-Firozshahi written by Shams-i-Siraj Afif however refer to this Minar as “the large pillar at old Delhi” raised by Sultan Shams-ud-Din Altamash. Ibn Batuta was not sure who built this minar so all he wrote about the builder was “Is it the minar of Feroz Shah”. Babur in his memoirs mention about this minar as the Minar of Sultan Alauddin Khilji. This shows that even till late 16th century, this minar was not attributed to Qutb-ud-Din Aibak. It was known by the names of Altamash, Khilji or Tughlaq, who we know built and repaired portions of minar.

Translation on the entrance gate of Qutb minar:


The prophet on whom be the mercy and peace of God, has declared “whoever erects a temple to the true God (on earth,) shall receive six such ‘dwellings in Paradise’. The Minar, the building of the king of kings, Shems-ud-Dunya-wa-ud-Din, now in peace and pardon, be his tomb protected, and his place be assigned in heaven ____ was injured by lightning in the reign of the exalted monarch Secander the son of Behlol : (may his power and empire last for ever and his reign be glorious); and therefore the slave Fatteh-Khan, the son of Mesned-Ali the liberal of the liberal, and the meritorious servant of the king _____________, repaired it according to command. The 13th of Rebi-ul-Akher in the year 909.

<FROM DOOR ON FIRST BALCONY>

The Sultan Shams-ul-Hak-wa-ud-Din Altamash ____ erected this building

<FROM FOURTH STORY>

“The erection of this building was commanded in the glorious time of the great Sultan, the mighty king of kings, the master of mankind, the lord of the monarchs of Turkistan, Arabia and Persia; the Sun of the World and Religion, of the Faith and the Faithful, the lord of safety and protection, the heir of the kingdom of Sulman Abul Muzeffer Altamash, Nasir-Amin-ul-Momenin”

- Translation by Mr. Walter Ewer in Asiatic Researces vol. XIV (Cal: 1822)

We can see from the above proofs that this Minar was always known as the Minar of Altamash and not of Qutub-ud-Din Aibak.


Minarets of Jam, Ghazni and Konye

Reputed historian Sir Syed Ahmed in his work Athar-us-Sanadid said that this Minar was actually built by Prothvi Raj Chauhan so that his daughter can have a view of Jamuna river. But if it is true, then its design and architecture must be unique and not match with the other Minars of Islamic countries.




Minaret of Ghazni: Built by Muizuddin Bahram in 10th century in the city of Ghazni. It is little different from the Qutb Minar but has many similarities, like built by same generation of rulers and it is also the minaret of a mosque.

Minaret of Gutluk Temir in Konye-Urgench: This is the third tallest rubble masonry minaret in world built in Old Urgench city of Turkmenistan in 11th century.

Minaret of Jam: This Minaret, very much similar to the architecture of Qutub Minar is situated in Shahrak District of Ghor Province of Afghanistan. It is right next to the Hari River. This 65 metre high minaret was completed in 12th century. This place (called Firuzkoh) was the summer capital of Ghorid Dynasty (from where Qutbuddin Aibak came). This is the second tallest rubble masonry minaret of world and was probably attached to a mosque, just like Qutb Minar.


Qutbuddin Or Qutbuddin

Some historians went to an extend claiming that Altamash dedicated this Minaret to Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki (r.a.), whose shrine is right behind this complex. Khwaja Kaki (ra) is the immediate successor of Hz. Khwaja Mouinuddin Chisti (ra) of Ajmer. This could be true because we know how much Altamash respected Hazrat Kaki (ref: work by Maulana Minhaj Siraj). A friend of mine, Khalid bin Umar told me a story:

Khwaja Qutub-ud-din Bakhtiyar Kaki (1173-1235 AD) is one of the most respected and esteemed Buzurg in India. He lived during the reign of Altamash ( Eltutmish) and died in Delhi. When Khawaja Qutub-ud-Din Bakhtiyar Kaki’s janazah was ready for the last salat. The khadim-i-khas came forward and announced that according to the will of Khawaja Sahib the funeral prayer (salat-ul-janazah) is to be led by the person who fulfills these 3 requirements:
He should have never committed adultery after reaching puberty.
He should have never missed the 4 rakat of sunnah(ghair-muakkidah) before Asr salat.
He should have never missed Takbir-i-Ula’ ( Opening Takbir in Salat) in prayer ( Jamat)

The huge crowd stood still !
Hundreas of Awliya , Shyukh of Delhi as well as Shaykh’s senior disciples were present there. No one came forward.Khadim repeatedly announced the requirements. But there was no response. A sense of impatience was being felt. 

Finally, Sultan Shamusddin Altamash (May Allah have mercy on him) stepped forward. He remarked, “No one knew my secret, the respected Khawaja disclosed it. All praise is to Allah, I fullfil these criteria”. He then led the prayers.

I have serious doubts on the fact that Qutb Minar was named after Hazrat Khwaja because if it really was, Altamash must have engraved atleast some information in this regard on the tower. He had all the time in world to write almost everything on this minaret and even the kings that followed him wrote a lot on it. But no one ever mentioned anything about Hazrat Kaki, ever. However, Ritter in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (Vol XX, Nos. I to VIII, 1851, p353), wrote that this Minar could be in honour of Qutub Sahib, the celebrated saint. This statement is further corroborated by Major Raverty in his translation of Tabakat-i-Nasiri where he calls this Minar as ‘Lath of Kutb Sahib’. Several other historians like Miss Mabel Duff (aka Mrs. W. R. Rickemers) and even Sir Alexander Cunningham (Dir. Gen. of ASI – 1862) support this statement. But they all put forward their assumptions and no one gives an assurance of confirmed fact to prove it. The only logical reason was given by R.N. Munshi, who says that since Hazrat Kaki was such a celebrated saint, it is possible that the emperors never thought of putting an extra line on the Minaret and it was assumed by everyone as the ‘Laat of Qutub Sahib’

Qutub Minar has a long and mysterious history. People like me will never be able to unfold it completely. However, I have tried my best to put forward the facts that I learned in past few years.

Vikramjit Singh Rooprai

http://vikramjits.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/untold-story-of-the-qutub-minar/

THE SO CALLED KUTUB MINAR IS A HINDU MONUMENT”DHRUVA STAMBHA”

Posted on February 12, 2012by hindu speaks

http://hinduspeak.wordpress.com/2012/02/12/the-so-called-kutub-minar-is-a-hindu-monumentdhruva-stambha/

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Vikramjit Singh Rooprai vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Kallanai Dam – World Oldest Surviving Dam – Constructed By Cholas At Tamilndu 2000 years back and functioning Till Date

Built around 2,000 years ago across the Cauveri River in Tiruchirapalli District of Tamil Nadu, the Kallanai Dam is still in excellent condition and used as a major irrigation dam even now. The dam has been inspiration to many modern day dams too due to amazing engineering. Read more to know about this unique example of the amazing architecture and engineering of ancient India.

When I was a kid, water always amused me. I would wonder where it came from, where it went and how did it first come into existence and found its way to our house taps.

Kallanai Dam, also known as the Grand Anicut, is one of the oldest water-regulator structures in the world which is still in use.

Kallanai Dam

Built around 2,000 years ago across the Kaveri River in Tiruchirapalli District, Tamil Nadu, by Karikala Chola, the dam was constructed to divert the river to the delta districts thereby boosting irrigation and avoiding loss of crops due to floods.

The dam though very old has a strong foundation and a solid structure. It is still in excellent condition and is used as a major irrigation dam in Tamil Nadu. The dam has also been an inspiration for many recent modern day dams due to its amazing engineering. Due to its impressive architecture, the dam attracts a lot of tourists every year.

The unique structure of the Kallanai dam involves large stones sunk in the Cauvery river to divert the water flow to the fertile delta. The main function of the dam was to retain the water supply in the Cauvery and flow the surplus into Coleroon through the Ullar river. The dam was re-modeled by the British during the 19th century.

In 1804, Captain Caldwell, a military engineer was appointed to promote the irrigation in the delta region. After some study he found out that only a small amount of water was left for irrigation as the maximum water went to Kollidam. Caldwell proposed a solution by raising the dam. Hence, the dam stones were raised to a height of 0.69 meter, which increased the capacity of the dam.

It is believed that floods to an extent of about 5260 cumecs (1,86,000 cusecs) have been discharged through this anicut with minimal or no damage. (Source)

Cauvery River

The dam is made of unhewn stone and is 1,080 feet long and 60 feet wide, across the main stream of the Cauvery.  The area is irrigated by the ancient irrigation network of which the dam was the centrepiece, covering about 69,000 acres. By the early 20th century, the irrigated area had increased to about 1,000,000 acres. (Source)

The Lower Anicut built by Sir Arthur Cotton in 19th century AD across Coleroon, the major tributary of Cauvery, is said to be a replicated structure of Kallanai.

How to reach there?

Kallanai dam is located 19 kms. from Tiruchirappalli, and the nearest airport is the Tiruchirapalli airport, about 13 kms. away from the dam site. The nearest railway station to Kallanai Dam is Lalgudi railway station Junction which is 4 kms. away from the Kallanai Dam.

All pics source

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter (@thebetterindia).

About the Author: Born with a hobby to travel, talk, express and write, Shreya gets to do all of that and is even paid for it! Interested in rural development and social issues, she dreams of actually bringing a change in society and writing a book of her own one day. When she is not preaching others about a better India she is busy watching movies and playing video games. Follow her on twitter: @shreya08

Editing Assistance: Shruti Mehrotra

- See more at: http://www.thebetterindia.com/12031/dam-standing-tall-2000-years/#sthash.HO1JnhSb.dpuf

Kallanai Dam – World Oldest Surviving Dam – Constructed By Cholas At Tamilndu 2000 years back and functioning Till Date

Kallanai Dam is one of the oldest irrigation dams in the world built around 2000 years ago. It was built across the river Cauvery by the Chola King, Karikal Valavan. The main purpose of building Kallanai was to divert the Cauvery water for irrigation in the Tanjavur delta. Kallanai has a strong foundation and solid structure. Due to its stubbornness it is still in excellent condition and is used as a major irrigation dam in Tamilnadu.

About 15,000 Singala speaking slaves cum war prison-ires picked and mobilized from Srilanka During construction by Tamil Chola rulers for to meet construction labour force.

 

Kallanai has become model for many modern day dam constructions due to its strong engineering characters. Due to its engineering marvel Sir Arthu Cotton studied this dam extensively before constructing the Kollidam Dam across the river Coloron a tributary of Cauvery.  

Built by Raja Karikala Chola in the 2nd century A.D., the Grand Anicut, locally known as the Kallanai, is believed to be the oldest surviving dam. The Grand Anicut built by Raja Karikala Chola in the second nd century A.D. is still been a marvel in engineering. 

 

It is a unique structure built just with large boulders brought over and sunk in the Cauvery sand, a task arising of a desperate need for irrigating fertile fields below when the floods breached the left bank and rushed down north to join back its counterpart the Coleroon, leaving its delta high and dry. 

 

Also this was the lone solution available centuries before the reputed Punjab engineer Dr.A. N. Khosla, I.S.E. came up with an engineering design for structures to be built on permeable foundations. 

 

Strong structure According to data available with the Public Works Department, floods to an extent of about 5260 cumecs (1,86,000 cusecs) have been discharged through this anicut with minimum or no damage. It is possible that higher floods could have flown over in the past when there were no other structures in the river.  

The anicut is 328 metres (1,080 feet) long; 12.20 to18.30metres (40 to 60 feet) in width and 4.57 to5.49 metres (15 to18 feet) in height. The main function of this anicut was to retain the supply in the Cauvery and its branches and pass on the surplus into Coleroon through the Ullar river. 

To save the crops The entire work chould have been done employing local labour and utilising whatever experience they possessed at that time. It is on record that thousands of slave labour brought from Ceylon after the Cholas’ conquest were employed. The sheer necessity to save the crops in the delta and provide water whenever needed should have driven the ruler to take up the arduous task. 

Not much is known as to how delta irrigation sustained through the centuries after the Grand Anicut was built. When the British took over Thanjavur from the Mahrattas in 1800, irrigation work was neglected but the supply realised in the Cauvery was inadequate. 

In 1804, Captain Coldwell repaired the Grand Anicut and provided dam stones 0.69 metre in height on its crest and at the same time, raised the river embankment above, ensuring additional water to the Cauvery. In 1829, Major Sim proposed undersluices in the Cauvery with outlets in to the Coleroon to prevent the accumulation of silt in the upper reaches. 

The Public Works Department recently took up renovation work on the Grand Anicut with an outlay of Rs. 21 crore sanctioned by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. 

Rajya Sabha member Tiruchi N. Siva drew the country’s attention to the historic Grand Anicut popularly known as Kallanai as an apt case for world heritage status. Siva hailing from Tiruchi, while making a special mention in the Rajya Sabha recently pointed out that Kallanai by virtue of it being an engineering marvel is a fit case for listing as a world heritage site. Built by Karikala Chozhan, the Kallanai is one of the oldest water diversions or water regulating structures in the world that continues to be functional. Though a large number of tourists, engineers, and historians visit this tourist spot, the importance of the Anicut and its historical background are less known. Mr. Siva had quoted clause (IV) of the selection criteria of the heritage site: “To be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates a significant state in human history.” He said the dam is seen as a model for engineers across the world.  

Locally called Kallanai, the Grand Anicut dam, was made of unhewn stones. 

The dam is 1080 foot long (329 meters) and 60 foot wide (20 metres) and is regarded as an engineering marvel. 

Grand Anicut is believed to be the world’s oldest surviving dam. 

This massive structure was later reinforced by the British. 

Originally the structure was built to divert the river water through canals across the fertile delta region for irrigation. 

The area irrigated by the ancient irrigation network of which the dam was the centrepiece was 69,000 acres. 

By the early 20 th century, the irrigated area has been increased to about one million acres. 

At present the dam caters to irrigation needs of 12 lakh acres. The PWD a few years ago undertook modernisation work at a cost of Rs. 21 crore sanctioned by NABARD.

1,000th anniversary of the Coronation of one of the Greatest Chola kings - Rajendra Cholan.

Culture causerati forget a 1000yr milestone

G.C. SHEKHAR

Chennai, July 27: Tamil Nadu’s leaders, for all their prickly championing of Tamil culture, let the 1,000th anniversary of the coronation of the greatest Tamil king ever pass without a flutter last week. It was left to a group of writers, historians, retired archaeologists and academics to honour the memory of Rajendra Chola I, whose empire stretched from Bengal to India’s southern tip, covered the whole of Sri Lanka and extended up to Indonesia. Missing were local film stars and directors, who rarely pass an opportunity to jump onto the Tamil bandwagon. A University of Madras professor said the Centre and the Archaeological Survey of India should have led the celebrations. “Rajendra was India’s first global king, not just because of his conquests but also because he opened trade to foreigners and founded a formidable navy that lorded over the Bay of Bengal,” the professor said. “During his time, the Bay came to be called the Chola Lake.” Archaeologist K. Sridharan suggested that Rajendra’s large army, estimated to be over one million strong, was the chief reason Mahmud of Ghazni never raided the south during his repeated forays into India. “Rajendra’s naval fleet was so big and powerful that the kings of the southeast (Asian) nations accepted him as their overlord rather than fight him,” Sridharan said. “(Southeast Asian king) Suryavarman I, with the help of Rajendra, re-established the Khmer kingdom in Cambodia. His successor Suryavarman II built the Angkor Wat, the world’s largest Hindu temple, with the help of artisans sent by Rajendra.” Like his father Raja Raja Chola, who built the grand Shiva temple at Thanjavur, Rajendra too built temples and dug lakes, one of which measured 22sq.km. His greatest architectural feat is the temple at Gangaikondacholapuram, 250km from here, where he had a near-replica of the Thanjavur Big Temple built, but in a smaller version because he wanted his father’s creation to be the biggest of them all. Both temples are Unesco heritage sites. Rajendra acquired the title Gangaikonda Cholan (the man who brought the Ganga) after he defeated Bengal’s Pala dynasty, built a Shiva temple on the banks of the Ganga, and brought the river’s water to his homeland to be sprinkled on all major temples there. “He was a great administrator too. He fine-tuned the village administration his father had introduced and formalised it as the panchayat system, which allowed local people to decide issues affecting their livelihood,” said writer Balakumaran, who has just completed a biography of Rajendra. Rajendra was 54 when he became king in 1014 but he had already commandeered his father’s army to many victories. What the government failed to do, the people of Thanjavur and Gangaikondacholapuram did on their own. They held a bicycle rally between the two towns and lit a thousand oil lamps at the temple Rajendra built. “It was a people’s celebration. Rajendra, ultimately, was a people’s king,” one of the organisers said. “It’s probably for the best that his memory remains unsullied by the presence of the present-day rulers, who cannot look beyond their own families.” DMK sources were unwilling to comment, passing the buck to the government. Film director turned political activist Seeman said it was up to the state government to organise such commemorative events. “We should celebrate our Tamil heroes but, more importantly, we need to address the sufferings of our fellow Tamils in Sri Lanka,” he said. KING WHO TURNED THE BAY OF BENGAL INTO A ‘LAKE’ A statue shows Shiva and Parvati with Rajendra Chola sitting below Title Rajendra Chola I, a Tamil king Life Born circa 960; died 1044 Had three wives, four sons and one daughter Ascension Appointed prince and co-regent in 1012 by father Raja Raja Chola Became king in 1014Conquests Defeated the Pandyas, Cheras and Chalukyas in Karnataka and Andhra Brought the whole of Sri Lanka under Chola control Marched through Odisha up to Bengal, where he defeated Mahipala His navy annexed most of Southeast Asia up to Indonesia, giving the Bay of Bengal the moniker “Chola Lake”. Some records suggest his navy touched China’s shores Achievements The Shiva temple he built at his new capital, Gangaikondacholapuram, is a Unesco heritage site Artisans sent by him helped build the Angkor Wat, the world’s largest Hindu temple, in Cambodia Dug a lake that measured 22sqkm Brought water from the Ganga to be sprinkled on all major temples in his kingdom Formalised a sort of panchayat system The Shiva Temple at Gangaikondacholapuram

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140728/jsp/nation/story_18661100.jsp#.U-R9g_mSzoE

Images of Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram

Nice blog on Rajendra Cholan. Content copied below. Please visit the blog for more interesting stuff. 

http://www.ajithkumar.cc/my-thoughts/the-1000th-coronation-year-of-rajendra-chola-one-of-the-greatest-kings-of-india/

1,000th anniversary of the Coronation of one of the Greatest Chola kings - Rajendra Cholan.

This article is a tribute to Rajendra Chola – I, the greatest Tamil king and one of the greatest emperors of the world, on the 1000th anniversary of his Coronation of the Chola king.

“There will be no end to the troubles of states, or of humanity itself, till philosophers become kings in this world, or till those we now call kings and rulers really and truly become philosophers, and political power and philosophy thus come into the same hands.” — Plato

Fortunately in our country we had many great philosophers as our kings. These kings despite being great warriors, were also extra-ordinary human beings and left a legacy for the future generations. Ours is a land of Philosopher kings like Janka, Harsha vardhana, Chandragupta II, Raja Raja Chola and so on; in fact one of the greatest philosophers of all time – Buddha, was a prince.

Ever since I was a kid, I have always wanted to learn more about the Cholas, partly because I belonged to same community as that of the Cholas and partly because of the huge temples they built around the river Kaveri. My native place used to be the heart of Chola Empire’s commerce and administration. As a child I have spent hours together in the legendary port of Kaveri Poompatinam (the biggest port of Cholas, majority of which is now submerged under sea).I have spent more time in the Shiva temples built by the Cholas than at home. So, I was always eager to learn about them and when finally I got a chance to read about the Cholas in our history book, I was deeply disappointed. Information about the rule of Raja Raja Chola was restricted to a single paragraph in the huge book. While the book had chapters for every sultan of slave dynasty who came from Afghan and about those plunderers from Turkey, it hardly had anything about the Cholas. That disappointment led to a curiosity, which forced me to research more about the Chola kings. It was hard to find related books at the library, but I some how managed to read books about Raja Raja Chola, and by then, my curiosity about him, became more of an admiration.

The Legacy of Raja Raja – I:

During the second year of my college, a junior and a very close friend of mine, Jefferson Daniel, introduced me to the greatest Tamil novel of all time “Ponnien Selvan” – A semi-fictional biography of Raja Raja Chola. Reading that book  prompted me to get more authentic information about him. Raja Raja Chola conquered the kingdoms of Chera (current Kerala), Vengi, Western Chalukyas (Major part of Karnataka and some parts of Maharastra), Kalinga (orrisa) and Srilanka (Major Part of Sri Lanka). Chola kingdom was one of the strongest, wealthiest and the largest kingdoms of that time. He created the first Navy of India, no Indian Kings before him ever had a Navy. His naval fleet was so powerful, that Chinese envoys, visited Tanjavur to learn about ship construction and naval weaponry. He had close to half a million war prisoners, but instead of putting them in Jail, he gave them two options to go back to their kingdoms or to work for him in constructing the greatest temple of all time. majority of them stayed back and were instrumental in building one of the wonders of world – the Peruvudaiyar Temple (Brahadeeswara Temple). However just expansion of the empire or building temples was not his legacy, his legacy was his administration and his approach towards the citizens. In my opinion his greatest achievement was the implementation of  a working democracy in the state’s administration. The Country was divided in to provinces and the provinces were divided in to villages, and every village was divided in to 30 wards. People selected the representative for their ward through a procedure called as Kudavolai System. Unlike today there were certain restrictions to contest in that election. The contestant should be educated and should be between 35 and 70 years of age. Empowering the people and bringing them in to governance made the kingdom to become on of the most prosperous and happy kingdoms. The administrative powers at the provincial level were completely decentralized. This in my opinion was the true legacy of Raja Raja.

The Coronation of Rajendra Chola – One of Greatest Kings of India:

Exactly 1000 years ago and probably during this part of the year, Raja Raja Chola passed his last breath. That year, 1014 AD was very significant in the history of India, the coronation happened and King Rajendra Chola sat on the Chola throne for the first time. It goes without saying that he inherited a mighty empire from his father, however along with the empire, he also inherited his father’s wars.

Though he was the king of that vast kingdom, the ministers, poets and everyone around sang of his father, Rajaraja Chola, and called him the greatest Chola king. It is so difficult to be the sons of great men, the benchmark is set too high that only very few can live up to the billing. However Rajendra Chola had plans to not only meet the expectations of the people but also to overshadow even his late father’s glory. As an unbiased reader of history one will acknowledge that he surpassed his Father’s legacy by creating a truly global empire. His navy held the Islands of Andaman and Nicobar, controlling the entire Indian ocean. He finished all the wars that he inherited. He destroyed the rebellion of the Pandyas, Kalinga (Orrisa) was completely brought under control. When the Sinhalese King fought for his freedom, Rejendra Chola destroyed that rebellion and brought the entire Sri Lanka under his direct rule. With no more rebellion and with the mighty Chola flag, a pouncing tiger, fluttering right from parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kalinga and Lanka, he set his sights beyond.

Rajendra Chola’s Empire

Before starting further conquests, he made sure the economy of the country grows at a rapid pace; he opened up the market and commerce flourished, with Romans, Arabs and the Chinese strolling on the vast streets of Tanjavur and Nagai, selling their merchandise. At the same time the export of the local merchandise grew multifold. There was no discontent or poverty among any sect in the kingdom. The young Chola king , then wanted more. He set his eyes North, and instead of sending just his army he lead the army himself along with the able support of one of great army generals of all time (Araiyan Rajarajan) and captured Odda kingdom. The Palas who ruled the Gangetic plains of Bihar and Bengal, were a formidable opponents. The king Mahipala had a huge army, however after one of the bloodiest wars of that time the Pala kingdom fell and Mahipala laid his crown at Rajendra’s feet. Rajendra erected a small Shiva temple in the banks of Ganges and performed a Pooja there, and got the title ‘Gangaikonda Cholan‘. He brought the water of Ganga back to Tanjavur and later build a huge temple in Gangai Konda Cholapuram. He had plans to build a bigger temple than the Tanjavur temple, but dropped that idea, because he wanted his father’s temple to be the biggest in his kingdom.

GangaiKonda Cholapuram Temple

The Cold War Between Mohammad Ghazni and Rajendra Chola:

When Rajendra Chola controlled the entire South and Eastern India, Mohammad Ghazni was repeatedly invading the North and North-West India. Mahmud set out on regular expeditions against India as he vowed to raid India every year (It is a myth that he failed 17 times and won the 18th time. He came, he conquered, he looted and he left the country every-time). He captured and looted Mathura, Kannauj and Meerut, and set his sights on the south of India. South India at that point of time was far wealthier than North India, however he dropped the plans after learning about the might of Rajendra Chola through his spies. Certain historians also feel that the North Indian conquest of Rajendra and his show of strength acted as a major deterrent in preventing the Arabs’ and Afghans’ from attempting to conquer India (The Southern part).

Invasion of the Indonesian Archipelago:

With significant portion of the Indian subcontinent under him he strengthened his Navy and sent it on a expedition to conquer the lands of South-East Asia. His naval technology and capabilities were far advanced than his contemporaries’. Fearing the power of Rajendra Chola, the kings of Burma, Thailand, Indo-China, Malay Penisula and the Indonesian Archipelago accepted the Chola’s as their overloads. The navy won over every kingdom in its path. All the lands around the Bay of Bengal came under Cholas, and the entire Bay of Bengal was addressed as “The Chola Lake“. On the Western side he captured Lakhswadeep and Maldives. So at the height of Rajendra Chola’s power the Chola kingdom was so vast, making it one of the largest empires to ever rule the subcontinent.

Angkor Wat Built by SuryaVarman II of Khmer Dynasty – A Chola Vassal

Rajendra made his men as the kings of several kingdoms in Combodia and the Indonesian Archipelago. SuryaVarma I, a vassal of Rajendra Chola re-established the Khmer kingdom again by taking the help of Rajendra Chola. His successor SuryaVarma II built the largest Hindu Temple in the whole world (Angkor Wat), the artisans from the Chola kingdom aided a great deal in establishing this temple. In return SuryaVarma II continued with  the homage and the fealty to Kulothunga Chola I. The recently excavated towns in Cambodia lay testament to the fact that the town planning of the Cholas was much ahead of their times. The border conflict between Thailand and Combodia for over hundred years is actually over an Ancient Shiva Temple – Preah Vihear Temple.  Rajendra’s vassal, Surya Verma I under the instructions of Rajendra built that temple. Most of these temples had riches beyond imagine, but were looted by the Europeans later.

The Chinese Connection:

The Chinese Kingdoms (Initially the Tang Dynasty and later the Song Dynasty), respected the Cholas a lot and they gave liberal licenses to the Chola people to trade in China. The Chola people back then set up a huge settlement and were the pioneers of trade in China. They built several temples in their locality,  though several got destroyed, a few are still alive. TheChezhiyan temple (called as Chediyan in China), in Quanzhou is still quite popular and the Chinese people worship there every day, claiming it to be very powerful. There is a huge Shiva Lingam in the Bamboo Park in China built around the same period. Some inscriptions in China also describes about the Naval co-operation between the Chinese and the Chola Kingdom.

The Chedian Temple, China, Photo Courtesy: Ananth Krishnan, The Hindu

The Legacy of Rajendra Chola:

Rajendra Chola controlled the greatest army that India had seen, while Raja Raja Chola had an army of 900,000 strong men, Rajendra had an army close to 1.5 million men (To put that number in perspective the current Indian army has 1.1 million active personnel) and he had a naval fleet that was unmatched by anyone at that time. However after a couple of centuries his kingdom shrunk and was eventually overthrown. His huge capital city is today reduced to a small village. The only remnants of that great city are the Shiva temple and Lion Well. Fortunately the place is now a world heritage site and the city of one of the greatest kings of India is not completely lost. In addition to those great achievements he also left a lasting legacy, he built temples around the country and allotted agricultural lands and wealth to every temple. People might not know, most of the significant Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Sri Lanka are built by him. Those temples protected the people during natural calamities and droughts for centuries together. Hundreds of those temples that he built has withstood invasions and even after 1000 years they still stand tall and serve the people. The temples he built in Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia and China are still a testament to the greatness of this land and its people.

Other excellent links for the interested

http://www.kumbakonam.info/