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Saturday, May 17, 2025
TopicCholas

Topic: Cholas

‘The thief who stole my heart’–How pearl-laden Chola bronzes reimagined Shiva

A leading scholar in Indian art history, Vidya Dehejia used evocative storytelling to delve into the rich legacy of Chola bronze sculptures at an event in Delhi.

A Chola queen shaped Hinduism like no one else. Yet you haven’t heard of her

Sembiyan Mahadevi, a 10th-century Chola queen, reshaped Hinduism through temple patronage and art. Her vision turned Nataraja into the most iconic symbol of Shiva.

How did taxes work in medieval India? Chola, Mughal subjects struggled like today’s middle-class

In Tamil Nadu, we have an extraordinary archive of over 13,000 stone inscriptions on temple walls, recording the taxation, sale, and cultivation of land.

Chola kings divided people into 2 caste groups—to pit them against each other and exploit

In 'Caste Away', NA Vanamamalai talks about inscriptions from the time of Chola dynasty that reveal caste politics in medieval Tamil Nadu.

How do you really look at a Tamil Nadu temple? Chennai lecture series is helping

Historian Chithra Madhavan is turning the spotlight on Tamil Nadu’s neglected ancient temples and their stories in a lecture series organised by Chennai-based Tattvaloka.

Rama and the King: How an ancient hero was used by Pala poets, Chola emperors

For centuries, Rama has been used by litterateurs and rulers to legitimise themselves.

Cholas may not be in NCERT textbooks but love for Tamil, faith in Shiva will keep them alive

My one quarrel with Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan is that it emphasises on the war-mongering elements of Chola history not on their aesthetic, administrative achievements.

Go beyond Sengol. Why there’s such hype about Chola dynasty in India today

The Cholas are now Hindu nationalist heroes. And the BJP is keen to link itself with this image. But The resurgence of the Cholas in political memory is strange.

Look beyond Taj Mahal. Mughals must make way for the Cholas, Elephanta Caves in NCERT books

The NCERT was set up in the heyday of our Gosplan-inspired socialist Permit Raj. It chose to suppress the rich histories of the Cholas, Ellora, Elephanta, Kalachuris.

A medieval Malayan king beat Cholas at their game. Almost created a superpower

Not all invasions went from India/Sri Lanka to Southeast Asia. The Malayan rulers of Tambralinga tried to establish an empire across the seas.

On Camera

Ishaan Khatter is officially the Milind Soman of the 21st century

The actor has both a good physique and acting prowess. He impressed audiences with his performance in A Suitable Boy (2020), making love look giddy and poetic all at once.

Northeast set for economic take-off with Rs 1.12 lakh cr in investment commitments from Tata, Reliance

Driving this wave of interest is the upcoming Rising North-East Investors Summit in New Delhi, organised by the Ministry for Development of the North Eastern Region.

Op Sindoor: Inside story of what led Pakistan DGMO to make frantic calls for ‘ceasefire’

India used multiple types of aircraft, air to surface missiles & air defence systems to inflict damage to PAF. Almost all strikes were covered by high-res recon UAVs & satellites.

Pakistan has a 7-year terror itch. Here’s a two-minus-one-front idea to cure it

Pakistani establishments and their proxies are prone to severe, predictable 7-year-itch. Each step up the escalation ladder buys India about this many years of deterrence on average.