RAJA RAJA CHOZHAN DEATH

Raja Raja Chozhan died a natural death. He died at 67 years of age. The conspiracy of
death surrounds his brothers death Adithya Karikalan, not Raja Rajan. His burrial
place/tomb is not well maintained. It is somewhere on the highway between Tanjore and
Kumbakonam, to be precise the name of the village is Udayalur. Only selected ancestral
families of the Chozhas visit this place every now and then. There are mixed opinion
regarding the burial place, from the archaeology department. But the natives around there
firmly believe that this is the burial place of Raja Raja Chozhan. This tomb is listed in the
official web page of Kumbakonan district.

Udayalur (Sri Kangeyapuram) is a village in Kumbakonam taluk, Thanjavur district, Tamil

Nadu, India. It is located located 32 km from Thanjavur and 6 km from Kumbakonam.
The 1000 years old Sri Kailasanathar temple, dedicated Lord Shiva is located at Udayalur
and it is learned that this temple was built by Raja Raja Cholan I. It is also believed that
the Chola emperor has gifted this village to Ulagamuzhuthudayal, one of his wives and
also named the village as Ulagamuzhuthudayalur. This name gradually transformed as
Udayalur. (ref.6)

Paalkulaththu Amman temple is another temple located on the banks of Palkulam

(Ksheera Theertham) on the eastern border of the village. There is a stone pillar bearing
inscriptions at the temple doorway. Previously this pillar was part of the mandapam in
Pazhayarai, where in the body of Raja Raja Cholan I laid for last rites. At a later date this
mandapam was demolished for unknown reasons. Eventually this pillar was taken from
the demolished site and planted at Paalkulaththu Amman temple.This inscription was
copied during 1880 – 1910 (about 30 years of work) reported and published in the Annual
Epigraphy Report during 1927 – 28.
This is the tomb/ burial place of Raja Raja Chozhan aka Arulmozhivarman.

Slanted half buried Shiva Lingam - claimed as Raja Raja Cholan I's ashes' burial place

Both the Shiva Lingam and the inscription lead many people to link and believe the site as
the pallippadai of Raja Raja Cholan - I. Pallipadai means a Shiva temple constructed on
the cemetery of a king. Pallipadai is the Tamil name for sepulchral shrine. Raising
sepulchral shrine on the burial / cremation ground was found common during later Cholas
period (10th and 11th century). Inscriptions would point out with details about the
construction of sepulchral temples over the remains of kings and princes.

It is said that there used to be a monument previously for Raja Raja Chozhan, that was
destroyed by the Pandiya king, Maravarman Sundara Pandiyan, who entered the Chozha
Kingdom and massacred it (demolishing the monument for Raja Raja Chozhan) , thus
unofficially ending the Chozha dynasty.