A team of archaeologists found ancient stone inscriptions dating back to 13{+t}{+h}century during an excavation work at Sappalanaickenpatti in Palani block on Thursday.
The team comprising archaeologist P. Narayanamurthy, Madurai Kamaraj University Evening College Director Dakshinamurthy, Professors Kannmuthu, Raja Varman, Manivannan and their students studied the inscriptions. They said that the stone inscriptions were made during King Sundara Pandian period (1256 BC) by Chithira Mezhi Periya Naattar, a team of popular traders in that period. Traders’ symbols of plough, trishul and udukkai were carved on the stone.
The message on the stone was that 18 teams of traders belonging to 18 lands had offered cash for construction of a Ganapathi temple. The inscription also advised local people to perform pujas and offer ‘neivedhyams’ daily, and that they should continue as long as the sun and moon were present.
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Periya Naattars were a group of popular traders in the 11th to 13 century period. They had been spreading their business activities in several countries. They were on par with kings of several countries in erecting inscriptions and conducting panchayats. One of these teams must have constructed the Ganapathy temple, he said.