Gaṅgaikoṇḍa Chōḻapuram is a village located near Jayankondam in Ariyalur district of Tamil Nadu, India. The Chola emperor Rajendra I established it as the capital of the Chola dynasty in c. 1025, and it remained the capital for approximately 250 years.

The village is situated approximately 125 kilometres (78 mi) northeast of Tiruchirapalli International Airport. The ancient site is designated as a heritage town within the Ariyalur district. The Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple is second in scale only to the Brihadisvara Temple (Peruvudaiyar Kovil) in Thanjavur, while featuring distinct architectural and sculptural details. It is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The name translates as 'the city of the Chola who took the Ganges', derived from Gangai (River Ganga), konda (obtained), chola (Chol), and puram (city). The name commemorates Rajendra I's victory, and his expedition to bring water from the Ganges river to establish his new capital.

The city was founded by Rajendra I to commemorate his victory over the Pala dynasty. Today, it is a small village whose historical significance is remembered by the surviving Brihadisvara Temple. At its height, the Chola empire encompassed southern India up to the Tungabhadra River in the north. For administrative and strategic reasons, Rajendra I established his new capital at Gangaikonda Cholapuram.

The city, originally possessed two concentric fortifications—and inner wall and a wider outer wall—the remains of which can be seen as a mound surrounding the palace site.

Excavations indicate that the outer fortification was constructed on burnt bricks and measured 6 to 8 feet wide, consisting of two parallel brick walls with a sand-filled core. The bricks are relatively large and made of well-burnt clay. The Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology conducted excavations at the nearby village of Ayudhakalam, believed to have housed an armory and weapon manufacturing workshops.

The surviving temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram was completed in 1035 CE. Rajendra I modeled it on the Tanjore temple constructed by his father, Rajaraja I, following a military campaign across northern and eastern India that Chola-era records state covered Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Bengal. Following his campaign, he required the defeated kingdoms to send pots of Ganges River water to be poured into the temple's well.

According to Tamil tradition, Rajendra I subsequently assumed the title Gangaikonda Cholan (the Chola who conquered the Ganges). He relocated the Chola capital from Thanjavur to Gangaikonda Cholapuram, which remained the imperial seat for approximately 250 years. Rajendra I laid out the city and its temples according to the architectural principles prescribed in Tamil Vastu and Agama sastra texts. These shrines included temples dedicated to Dharma Sasta, Vishnu and other deities; however, all were destroyed during the late 13th and 14th centuries except the Brihadisvara Temple. Traces of other Chola structures remain visible as soil-covered mounds, excavated pillar stumps, and brick wall remnants extending across several kilometres around the surviving temple.