A broken piece of stone pillar with an inscription of Chola king Uttamachola was found in Periyakulam, a dry tank at Purthikoyil, about five km from Manapparai in Tiruchi district by research scholars.
The pillar was found by R. Akila, Assistant Professor, Department of History, Aringar Anna Government Arts College, Musiri, and M. Nalini, Head, Department of History, Seethalakshimi Ramasami College, while undertaking an explorative study in the neighbourhood.
The beginning and the end portions of the inscription are lost as the pillar is broken, said R.Kalaikkovan, Director, Dr.M.Rajamanikkanar Centre for Historical Research, Tiruchi. The Tamil inscription in 24 lines mentions an agreement between donors and temple authorities in the 12{+t}{+h}regnal year of Uttamachola (C. E. 981), son of Kandaradhitya Chola and Chembiyanmadevi.
The inscription is engraved on the three sides of the square portion and all around the fluted portion of the pillar.
Though the writing on the square portion is legible, the lines on the fluted portion are slightly damaged and were difficult to decipher, Dr.Kalaikkovan said after examining the pillar.
The portion of the inscription which could be read mentions that Chembiyan Velan of Ollaiyur Nadu and Parantakan Iravi alias Raja Vichatira Pallavaraiyan had entrusted 10 ‘kalanju’ of pure gold with the temple Srikaryam Kulirvagai, officer Pallavaraiyan and Vannakkan Bhuti Bhattan to light a lamp in the temple.
Ninety sheep were bought with the gifted gold. Tilappan Viran and Ulappan Bhuti, probably the temple priests, agreed to light the lamp with ghee. The endowment was left under the care of certain Nagarattar identified as Ainnurruvan, Kunjaramallan and Nakkan, Dr.Kalaikkovan said in a press release.
The term ‘nagarattar’ mentioned in the record probably refers to the mercantile community who had settled somewhere near Purthikoyil. The name of the temple to which the gift was made could not be identified as the pillar has been damaged.
It may be surmised that the temple referred to in the inscription could have been ruined due to ravages of time. Efforts were on to look for any fragments of the ruined temple in the neighbourhood of the village, Dr.Kalaikkovan said.
The pillar has been moved to Muktisvaram temple, a nearby temple, with the help of locals under the guidance of P. Loganathan and P. Balasubramanian, founder and secretary of Natural Therapeutics Centre, Thiruvanaikovil, he added.
