THANJAVUR: The two-day festival marking the 1,040th Sathaya Vizha or birth anniversary of emperor Raja Raja Chola I (947 CE-1014 CE) commenced on Friday with the chanting of hymns from Tirumurai, a collection of Saivite poems, at the 11th century Peruvudayar temple in Thanjavur.
While the birth anniversary of Raja Raja I falls on the Sathayam star of ‘Aippasi’ month which is celebrated as Sathaya Vizha, the festivities commence days ahead. This year, the Sathayam star falls on November 1 and the celebrations commenced on Friday with the procession of around 250 folk artistes from the Thanjavur palace campus flagged off by Thanjavur MP S Murasoli.
District Collector B Priyanka Pankajam led the inaugural function.
On Saturday, when the Sathaya star falls, special ablutions will be performed on the main deities of Peruvudayar and Periyanayagi in the Chola temple following the garlanding of the statue of Raja Raja Chola outside the temple.