South Indian Inscriptions (Vol-XXVIII) (An Old Book)

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The present volume contains 341 Inscriptions reported in the Annual Report on Indian Epigraphy for the year 1913. Of these except a few records, most of the records are in Tamil Language 'and script This volume was assigned to Dr. J. Sundaram for editing by Dr. K. V. Ramesh when he was the Director (Epigraphy). I express my sincere thanks to him.

Dr. J. Sundaram has taken lot of pains in editing this volume. I am deeply beholden to him for his interest in completing this volume. I am also thankful to the Works Manager, Deputy works Manager, Asst Works Manager and Computer Operators of the Tamil Nadu Government Central Press at Chennai for their commendable zeal in composing this volume.

I am deeply beholden to Smt Komal Anand, LAS., Director General, Sri s.B. Mathur, LAS. Additional Director General, Sri Umesh Kumar, Director (Administration and Publication) for their kind encouragement in the preparation of this Volume.

I am also thankful to all my colleagues of the Epigraphy branch who have extended their co-operation to get this volume printed.

This volume in the South Indian Inscriptions series, presented here contains mainly the inscriptions in Tamil copied during the year 1913. One Telugu inscription found at Chidambaram, some inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit and Pili languages as deposited in the Government Museum, Chennai and two more labels in Telugu, Grantha and Nagar! charecters heave also been included. Thus a total of 341 inscriptions out of the 539 numbers collected in this year have been dealt with here.

No.1 dated Saka 1545 (1623 AD.) falling in the reign of the Vijayanagara ruler Venkatapatideva-maharaya em from Venganur, Perambalur Taluk, Tiruchirappalli District tells about one Pilai-poruttagurukkal functioning in the local temple of God Vrddhachalesvara, However, it is seen that it is the God enshrined in the temple at Adluturai who is now days referred to as Aparadha-kshamesvara, which name is the Sanskrit rendering of the name Pilai-porutta-nayanar, Though the inscriptions copied in this year from Adluturai usuaIy refer to the God in the temple at the place as Tirukkurangaduturai-udaiya- mahadevar excepting in the inscription dated in the regnal year 2 of Parakrama-pandya (equated to 1336 AD. No. 24) where the God in the temple at brahmadeyam Iraiyan-punsey (the old name of Adlutwrrai) is referred to as Tirukkurangadu-turai-udaiyar Kurram-poruttaruliya- nayanar, it is not ascertainable as to why and how this name, (the one who pardoned the faults) came to be applied to the God, that too, only in the reign period of Parakrama-pandya, It will also be enlightening if the charter declaring the village as a brahmadeyam; in favour of one or a group of brahmanas became available as it may throw light on the naming of the village as Iraiyag or Iraiyag-punsey. This name indicates that the whole contained only punsey or dry-crop land which had come to be taxed (irai-Iand-tax).

Again the Venganur inscription referred to above, tells that it was Virdachalam (Vriddhachalam) which had the alternate name Veilgaguir and that the God in the temple therein was named Palamalainatha-svamiyar (the Tamilised form of Vriddhachalesvara), It is noteworthy that there is a place in the neighbouring district of South Arcot, which is also named as Vriddhachalam, The name meaning aged mountain, must have had reference to a neighbouring mountain It is of interest that either two places were identically named after the same mountain or two different mountains bearing the same name situated in the same or adjacent region. However the Gods in the Siva temples in the two places were differently named though both are Tamil transalation of the word Vridhachalam, As stated above the God at Venganur was called Palamalai-natha-svamiyar and at Vriddhachalam the God was called Tirumudukunram-udaiyar.

The Venganur inscription as referred to above reveals that in 1623 AD., there was a nayakkar feudatory of the Vijayanagara rulers at Senji and that he controlled the area from Senji upto the modern Perambalur Taluk, in Tiruchirappalli District He is stated to have directed the benefactions recorded in favour of the temple at Venganur alias Vriddhachalam, The inscription dated Saka 1545 (1623 A.D.) in the reign of Venkatapatideva-maharaya, records the making of images of all the deities, required for the routine daily worship as also the images for being taken out in procession by Linga-reddiyar, son of Vallakol Eramu-reddiyar, belonging to the class of Dhananjaya- Pandakulam for the merit of Yeilgappa-nayakkarayyag of Senji, The Veilkatapati deva cited as the ruler of the area must have been the second of that among the later Vijayanagara rulers, who had shifted their capital to Chandragiri This Yeilkatapati-