IT Pro Retraces 1,000-Year-Old Army Route Across India

Ramesh Vangipuram did something most people would never dream of: he traced the footsteps of an ancient army across thousands of miles of Indian terrain.

One thousand years ago, Chola king Rajendra I sent his army on an epic march from southern India to the Gangetic plains. The soldiers defeated multiple kingdoms, collected sacred water from the Ganga River, and carried it back to pour into a ceremonial lake at the Chola capital.

Ramesh, working his day job in IT, became obsessed with retracing this legendary journey. But he faced an enormous challenge: the Cholas left no physical artifacts along their route.

Instead, he turned detective. The Thirumalai inscription provided clues about the sequential order of places the army passed through. Ramesh spent countless hours mapping geographical boundaries of ancient kingdoms, validating his research with Odiyan scholar Kornel Das.

His research revealed a surprising detail. King Rajendra didn't actually lead the march himself but stayed back in present-day Andhra Pradesh while his army continued north.

Armed with maps and determination, Ramesh traveled by bus, train, and cab to follow the ancient route. Sometimes the terrain forced him to detour, but he stayed as close to the original path as possible.

Between Rajahmundry and Sakkarakottam (modern Chitrakoot in Chattisgarh), he identified the route the Cholas likely took. They probably passed through Vengi, where the Eastern Chalukyas ruled, because of marital ties between the royal families. This route also gave them strategic opportunities to defeat feudatories along the way.

Why This Inspires

Ramesh's journey proves that history isn't locked in dusty books. By walking where ancient soldiers once marched, he transformed scholarly research into a living, breathing adventure that anyone can understand and appreciate.

His work gives modern Indians a tangible connection to their ancestors' achievements. He showed that with curiosity and determination, one person can illuminate forgotten chapters of history and share them with the world.

In an age when we often feel disconnected from our past, Ramesh built a bridge across a thousand years.