About Maligaimedu Chola Palace Archaeological Site
The Maligaimedu Chola Palace Archaeological Site is an excavated palace complex located at Maligaimedu village near Gangaikonda Cholapuram in Ariyalur District, Tamil Nadu. Excavated by the Archaeological Survey of India, it is identified as the remains of the royal palace of Rajendra Chola I, founder of Gangaikonda Cholapuram as the Chola capital in the 11th century CE. The site reveals brick foundations, fortification walls and Chola-period artefacts.
Visitors guide
Visitors can expect an open-air archaeological mound with exposed brick foundations, wall plinths and layout traces of a large palace complex set in a rural agricultural landscape. The site is largely ruins with low-level structures, trenches and information markers indicating excavated areas. There are no standing palaces, but the ground plan, brickwork and surrounding fields illustrate the scale of the Chola capital. The area is quiet and best explored on foot.
Key highlights
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Excavated remains believed to be the palace of Rajendra Chola I at Gangaikonda Cholapuram
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Extensive burnt-brick foundations, fortification walls and floor levels from the 11th century Chola period
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Artefacts including Chola pottery, tiles, iron nails and copper objects found during ASI excavations
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