Here’s a discarded plaque of Pandya era and stones containing rare inscriptions at Thondamanadu village near Srikalahasti town, which shed light on the region’s tryst with Pandya, Chola and Pallava dynasties that ruled South India.
Dating back to 12th CE, the plaque is found near the temple of Lord Venkateswara, who is seen in a sitting posture along with His consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi, which is a rare to find. ‘Veetrirundha Perumal’ (sitting Venkateswara) is the Tamil name given to the idol at this temple, which was constructed by Thondaman Chakravarthy, considered the brother of the legendary Akasaraja.
As ‘Thondamandalam’ is the region comprising the contemporary Chittoor, southern Nellore district and spreading up to Chennai, this village was apparently named after the king.
Engraved on a black stone, the inscription pertains to the sale of land by brothers Thikkanan and Akkanan to the three sons of Avaiyandar, a resident of Tondaimanatrur. The sale proceed was 100 ‘panams’. Though it belongs to the ‘Common Commercial Transaction’ category, what adds value is the mention of the ruling king Jatavarman Sundara Pandya, his titles ‘Tribhuvana Chakravarthy’ and ‘Kochadayan’ and the revenue details of the places i.e., Tondaimandalam and ‘Tiruvengadakottam’ (Venkata’s place).
“The date of the inscription is based on the regnal year 11th after the succession of the king, which suggests that it belongs to around 1260 A.D.”, Challa Sivakumar of Archeological Research Group (ARG) told The Hindu . Though it was admittedly a ‘chance finding’, it has thrown light on a new fact that the region was under the presence of Chola, Pandya and Pallava kingdoms in this region.
The tomb of Chola King Aditya Varma was built by his son Parantaka in 907 A.D. in the Siva temple located at the nearby Bokkasapalyam village after the king’s demise while returning home after successfully dethroning the Pallava king in a battle.
Convergence of
mighty kingdoms
Apart from Chola and Pallava, the recent inscription mentions the Pandya rule in the 12th century, which indicates the convergence of the three mighty kingdoms of South India in this very place.
“Further exploration and conservation should be taken up by the Archaeology Department,” says Mr. Sivakumar.
Lotus pedestal
Four Hero stones (one showing a man with bow and arrow and the others depicting self-sacrifice), statues of ‘Saptamatrukas’, Linga and Nandi and a pair of divine feet carved on a lotus pedestal, supposedly of Venkateswara are also found nearby.
The date of the inscription is based on the regnal year 11th after the succession of the king, which suggests that it belongs to around 1260 A.D.
Challa Sivakumar
Archeological Research Group
