Researchers of the Centre for Historical Research, functioning at Mannar Thirumalai Naicker College, discovered an inscription belonging to the Nayak period at Vadivelkarai near here.
ADVERTISEMENT
B. Athmanathan, research coordinator of the centre, and Udhayakumar, research scholar at Government Arts College, Melur, found the inscription based on the information provided by Alagumalaikannan, an alumnus of Mannar Thirumalai Naicker College. The Centre for Historical Research was functioning under the guidance of college secretary M. Vijayaraghavan, said Mr. Athmanathan.
The inscription, which dated back to around 1558 Common Era, was about a charter issued during that period, said Mr. Athmanathan. The initial lines of the inscription were in Sanskrit which had information about the owner of the inscription. “However, the characters were unclear and hence the owner of the inscription cannot be identified,” he said.
The charter was issued in the name of a temple for Lord Siva. A devadasi of the temple, Sokki Thummisi, donated land located on the outskirts of Thattankulam to a person named Manickam. This charter was written by Vinotha Brahmathirajan.
ADVERTISEMENT
When the inscription was made, Sadasivaraya was the ruler of the Vijayanagar Empire and Visvanatha Nayak ruled Madurai, said Mr. Athmanathan.
The inscription was deciphered by S. Rajagopal, former senior epigraphist of the State Archaeological Department.