Ramesh Vangipuram in Bhujang valley.
| Photo Credit: Ramesh Vangipuram
One thousand years ago (1023-1024 CE), Chola king Rajendra I’s navy marched to the Gangetic plains, defeating many kings on the manner, nonetheless water from the Ganga, and poured it into Chola Gangam, the lake Rajendra in-built his capital, Gangaikondacholapuram. What if somebody tried to follow the Chola crawl now? Ramesh Vangipuram, an IT official, researcher and determined to entire precisely that. For the reason that Cholas did now not leave within the befriend of any artefacts within the regions they passed via, Ramesh needed to depend on recordsdata came upon within the Thirumalai inscription, which supplies the sequential make clear of the locations on the Chola route. He needed to fix the geographical boundaries of the kingdoms the navy crossed. He drew up maps, which had been validated by Odiyan student Kornel Das. “Rajendra did now not lead his navy to the Ganga, but stayed befriend in Andhra,” clarifies Ramesh.
Ramesh travelled by bus, put collectively and cab to take hang of the Chola route. But now and again, he needed to deviate attributable to of functional difficulties much like inhospitable terrains. Of the 2 most likely routes from Rajahmundry to Sakkarakottam (be conscious day Chitrakoot in Chattisgarh), Ramesh believed the Cholas would hang taken the route via Vengi, attributable to they had marital ties with the Japanese Chalukyas who dominated Vengi. Additionally, feudatories of Sakkarakottam that had been on this route could well perchance be defeated.
Revealed – April 14, 2026 08:00 am IST
