Two hero stones with inscriptions in a separate stone dating back to 13th Century were discovered on the north bank of River Cauvery at Perumbalai village in Pennagaram block in the district here recently.
Members of the Yaakkai Voluntary Organisation comprising Chandran, Sudhakar Nalliyappan, Arun Raja and Chirringur Raja documented the hero stones found in a farm land near a hilltop. The inscriptions were not read fully before and the team read the 26-line inscription that describes the conflict in the region. The inscription states the time period as Purva Nakshatra Monday of the month of Chithirai. It also describes the heroic deeds of the dead warrior as “Mathali vikarana surya, the uncontrollable lion, Malaikaḷ kalankinalum manam kalankata Cholanga Thevan”.
Sculptures are carved in two separate stones. While one sculpture depicts a warrior confronting and attacking an enemy on horseback, the other sculpture shows the warrior killing the enemy. “It is of historical significance that a hero stone found in the border area of a country bears much rare social information, as indicated in the ancient literature”, said the members who confirmed the inscriptions with senior epigraphist Rajagopal Subbaiah.
Perumbalai has long been historically associated with the Kongu region as Tamil language text- Kongu Mandala Sadhagam states, “Perumbalai to the north and Vaikavur to the south” in a poem that defines the border of the Kongu country. Perumbalai has archaeological evidence of people living here since ancient times. The village and its surrounding areas are low-lying, but rich in ecosystems. The area was also the main road junction before crossing the Cauvery on the way from Gangapadi to the interior of the Kongu region. Iron and mineral resources were abundant in the Mecheri and Mettur areas at that time.
