TRICHY: The Pudukottai Archaeology Research Forum has identified two unrecorded stone inscriptions in an abandoned choultry (resting place) established in the rural Pudukottai that once served as a retiring space for travellers, pilgrims and livestock. The inscriptions reveal that the choultry, now in a dilapidated state, was established by king Vijaya Ragunatha Thondaiman in 1781 in memory of his mother.
The founder of the research forum, A Manikandan, said that the choultry is situated at Aayipatti village in Karupattipatti panchayat near Karambakudi in Pudukottai district. A field study in the choultry identified two stone inscriptions in the pillars in the eastern and western parts of the shelter. The inscriptions in Tamil reads that king Vijaya Ragunatha Thondaiman has established the shelter in the name of his mother Periya Aayi Nalla Kaatha Ammal. The shelter is situated near Aayipatti Road, which once served as a major road for travellers and merchants commuting to the nearby villages such as Ambukoil and Kallakottai.
“During special occasions, the Thondaiman king has provided free food to the public in the shelter. The 3,000-sqft structure has helped the villagers safeguard their livestock during extreme weather conditions,” A Manikandan, research scholar in Thanjavur Tamil University, said. As weeds and shrubs have invaded the 241-year-old stone structure, the archaeology group has requested the ASI Trichy circle to survey similar historical shelters in the region that have lost their prominence. “Such places can be developed as heritage sites to promote tourism. The history behind the structures can be displayed as information boards. Even the nearby villagers were not aware of the importance of the shelters,” Manikandan said.
