Students of SSAM Government Higher Secondary School, Thirupullani, who were members of the school’s Heritage Club, affiliated to the Ramanathapuram Archaeological Research Foundation (RARF), have collected Pandia and Chola period copper coins.
After joining the Heritage Club, headed by the school teacher V. Rajaguru, who is also the president of RARF, the students have evinced interest in collecting historical traces, artefacts and numismatics and recently collected the copper coins at Sethu Karai in Rameswaram and Thirupullani area.
The collection of coins issued during the period of Jadavarman Sundara Pandian I, who ruled the Pandia kingdom like an emperor during 1250 – 1268 CE and Raja Raja Chola I, the renowned king who ruled the Chola kingdom of southern India and northern part of Sri Lanka between 985 and 1014 CE, was a significant historical trace, Mr. Rajaguru said.
The Pandia period coin has ‘Kachi Vazhangum Perumal’ engraved in Tamil on one side and double fish in a standing posture in multiplication sign with crescent symbol on top on the other.
Jadavarman Sundara Pandian I was known as ‘Kachi Vazhangum Perumal’ after he won Chola’s temple town of Kancheepuram and gave it back to the Chola prince in a gesture of goodwill, Mr. Rajaguru said.
During his period, coins were also issued in the names of ‘Sundarapandian’ and ‘Ellamthalayanan’, he added. The Pandia King’s 1262 CE inscription was found at the historic Sri Adi Jagannatha Perumal Temple in Thirupullani and it was evident that the coins were in circulation in this region, he said.
He said students who hailed from Panchanthangi and Thathanendal areas have collected ‘Eela kasu’ (Eelam coins) issued during the period of Raja Raja Chola I.
The copper coins have a man holding flower with four balls on his left and trident and lamp on his right on the one side and Sri Raja Raja, engraved in Devanagari script on the other side, he said.
The coins were in circulation from Raja Raja Choa I to Kulothunga Chola I period, he said, adding the coins were issued in silver, gold and copper and the students have found the copper coins.
Similar coins were found in the excavation conducted by the Thanjavur Tamil University at Periyapattinam and Kalimangundu areas in the district, Mr. Rajaguru pointed out.
This showed that the coins issued for circulation in Sri Lanka were also in circulation in Thirupullani, the Pandia kingdom area, which were under the Chola regime, he added.
R. Samayamuthu, Tajkumar and K. Sneha collected the coins, he said.
