Two early Chola period inscriptions have been found at Pasupathiswarar Temple built during the reign of Parantaka Chola I (924 CE) at Allur, about eight km away from the city, during an explorative study taken up by research scholars.
Fifteen inscriptions have been copied and published from the temple in 1903. The two inscriptions not covered during the study then have been found now by M. Nalini, Head, Department of History, Seethalakshmi Ramasamy College, and R. Akila, Assistant Professor, Department of History, Aringar Anna Government Arts College, Musiri.
R. Kalaikovan, Director. Dr. M. Rajamanikkanar Centre for Historical Research, after studying the inscriptions, said that one of them stands testimony to an age-old tradition of building individual mandapams in front of shrines. “This was popular in the Pallava territory, especially at Kailasanathar Temple at Kanchipuram and the Shore Temple complex at Mamallapuram,” Mr. Kalaikovan said.
The inscription indicates that Munaichudar Viraiyachilai, a merchant of Veeranarayanapuram who had settled at Allur, had built an ornate mandapam in front of the temple and named it after Madurantakan Orri, a well known Kodumbalur Velir clan ruler.
“This establishes that the practice of Pallavas was very much followed in the beginning of the Chola era. During a later renovation, the isolated mandapam was connected to the main shrine by constructing two screen walls on the south and north,” Mr. Kalaikovan said.
The second inscription which is partially covered by the north screen wall belongs to the period of an early Chola king whose name could not be found in the record. It records an order from the local feudatory, Madurantakan Orri.
The administrative body (‘oorar’) of Allur were instructed to measure and record all the boundaries of a piece of land which was purchased and gifted by Munaichudar Viraiyachilai to the temple towards the worship and offerings to the deity, Umabhattaraki, an urchava icon installed at the temple by him.
It was also ordered to make the land tax-free.
“The inscription provides information on several settlements that existed in and around Allur during 10th Century CE and helps reconstruct the micro-history of the village,” Ms. Nalini said.
