An inscription dating back to the late Pandya period has been discovered by a team of researchers on the sanctum sanctorum of the Varadaraja Perumal temple at Ayyur Agaram in Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu.
The inscription, which was partially buried was found by D. Ramesh and D. Ranganathan, Assistant Professors, Department of History, Government Arts College, Villupuram, and researcher M. Prakash during a recent field study.
The inscription engraved on the rear wall of the sanctum sanctorum belongs to the late period of Maravarman Vikrama Pandyan II, explained Mr. Ramesh.
“The inscription appears to be an agreement signed between the administrator Kalingarayan and the temple authorities. The record mentions Avviyur Agaram (now referred) as Ayyur Agaram as a Brahmin village situated on the banks of the Pambai River,” Mr. Ramesh said.
“The village located on both sides of the Pampai River was donated to Brahmins by the administrator as part of an agreement. The inscription also sheds light on various crops cultivated during the period such as arecanut, coconut, turmeric, sugarcane and banana,” he said.
Mr. Ramesh said that the inscription also provided a list of taxes that were collected during the period. It was a significant find since it threw light on the administration during the Pandya period and the boundaries which were divided into ‘Mandalams’ and ‘Valanadus’, he added.
