A visitor to the Tyagarajaswamy temple, Tiruvarur, cannot miss the ‘kal thaer’ (stone chariot) near the temple built by King Vikrama Chola in 12th century AD in memory of a famous incident in the reign of king Manu Needhi Chola.
Dr. Kudavayil Balasubramanian informs that Sekkizhar, a saint and author of Periya Puranam (Great Story or Narrative) in 4,253 verses, recounting the life history of the 63 Saiva Nayanmars, speaks of the glory of the Chola King.
The emperor, known for his impeccable sense of justice, had a peculiar case.
A cow, whose calf had been trampled under the wheels of his son’s chariot, sought justice by pulling the Bell hung outside the palace.
A remorseful king did the unimaginable. He put the prince on the ground and ran the chariot on him, killing him on the spot.
The stone chariot in Tiruvarur stands as a testimony to this episode, which has references in the Tamil epic, Silappadikaram .
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