1100-year-old Chola stone inscription found

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1,100-year-old Chola stone inscription found

By T.S. Subramanian

 

Chennai Dec. 30. A 1,100-year-old stone inscription of the Parantaka Chola

period has been discovered at a Siva temple at Ezhuchur, near Padappai, in

Sriperumbudur taluk of Kancheepuram district, 56 km from here. The inscription,

datable to 920 A.D., is in Tamil. It was found in the door jamb of the temple

which is called Nal-Inakkisvarar (Deity of Good Harmony). The temple is in a

highly dilapidated condition now.

According to Dr. T. Satyamurthy, Superintending Archaeologist, Archaeological

Survey of India (Chennai Circle), the inscription records the gift of solid gold

by the local headman called Nocci Kilan Kaliya Peruman of the village named

Velima Nallur of Velima Nallur-Nadu.

The inscription says that Nocci Kilan Kaliya Peruman gave the gold (``pon'' in

Tamil) to ``nattar'' to build (``thali'') the temple. The Nattar formed the

administrative body of Velima Nallur-Nadu. A ``nadu'' was a geographical

division. From the inscription, it was inferred that the present village

Ezhuchur was called Velima Nallur in those days and it served as the

headquarters of the Nadu of the same name.

Dr. S. Rajavelu, Epigraphist, ASI, said the inscription is datable to the reign

of Koparakesari Panmar, identified on palaeographical grounds with Parantaka

Chola-I. The inscription is dated to his 13th regnal year, which corresponds to

920 A.D.

Interestingly, the inscription says that if the ``nattar'' failed to construct

the temple, they should pay a certain amount of gold (``manchadi pon'') as fine

to the then king. The inscription reveals that Velima Nallur-Nadu came under

``Uttrukkadu Kottam''. A ``kottam'' was a bigger geographical division than

``nadu.''

According to Dr. Rajavelu, ``nattar'' were ``vellalars'' (agriculturists). Most

of them owned vast lands. Another inscription too was found as a door jamb in

the same temple but its letters have faded out.

According to K. Krishnakumar, who belongs to Ezhuchur and is trying to rebuild

the ruined Nal-Inakkisvarar temple, there was a copper epigraph which said that

King Narasimha of Vijayanagara gifted Ezhuchur village in 1429 A.D. to the 54th

Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, Sri Mahadeva Saraswati. The inscription

was in Nandinagari characters and was composed in Sanskrit. The donee Swami is

described as one seeking ``moksha'' (liberation), as one whose body is smeared

with ``bhasma'' (holy ash), adorned with garlands of ``rudraksha'' and so on.

This copper inscription said that King Veeranarasimha, seated on a jewelled

throne on the banks of the Tungabhadra river, gifted Ezhuchur and Venpakakam to

Sri Mahadeva Saraswati. Several sarcophagi had been found at Ezhuchur,

testifying that it had an ancient history, said Krishnakumar.

The Padappai region, where Ezhuchur is situated, lay on the highway leading from

Kancheepuram to the eastern coast in those days of the early/Imperial Cholas and

the Pallavas. That area was then studded with many temples and Brahmanical

settlements, Dr. Satyamurthy said. These temples, belonging to the early Chola

period or the Pallavas, are found at Manimangalam, Mattur, Eraiyur, Vallam and

so on.

The Manimangalam area was important because the early Cholas were penetrating

deep into the Thondaimandalam (Coromandel) at that time. The Vallam village near

Padappai has a Siva temple, originally belonging to the Pallava period, which

was evidenced on the basis of a sculptural representation of Somaskanda, the

favourite deity of the Pallavas.

Manimangalam, near Ezhuchur, is historically important in another sense. K.A.

Nilakanta Sastri, in his book ``A History of South India (From Prehistoric Times

to the Fall of Vijayanagar)'', says, ``The Chalukya King Pulakesin's ambition

prompted him to undertake another expedition against the Pallavas in the hope of

achieving more decisive results. Mahendravarman quit the stage and his son

Narasimma Varman-I Mahamallan (630 - 68) had begun his rule ... But Narasimha

Varman defeated the Chalukyas in several battles, including the one at

Manimangalam, about 20 miles to the east of Kancheepuram.''

 

http://www.hindu.com/2003/12/31/stories/2003123107210400.htm

 

 

 

 

 

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