No. 34 to 35 outside of the east wall of the inner prakara

No. 27 to 28 Rajgopala-Perumal temple

No. 29 outside of the east wall of the inner prakara

No. 30 north wall of the mandapa

No. 31 to 33 south, west wall of the mandapa

No. 36 to 39 south, east wall of the mandapa in the perumal temple

No. 40 to 41 east wall of the Dharmesvara temple

No. 34.- On the west wall of the mandapa in the Rajagopala-Perumal temple

This inscription is dated in the 8^th year of the reign of Tirubhuvanachakravartin Kulottunga-Choladeva.  It records that the villagers gave to the temple two pieces of land near the village, the first of which had been purchased from Sahanai Madhava-Bhattan.  The second piece of land had been purchased in the 13^th year of the reign of Vikrama-Choladeva.

As it is improbable that a very long time could have passed between the purchase of the land in the 13^th year of Vikrama-Choladeva and its grant to the temple in the 8^th year of Kulottunga-Choladeva, it may be assumed that Kulottunga-Choladeva was the immediate successor of Vikrama-Choladeva.  According to the Chellur plates of Kulottunga II.,[1] Vikrama-Choda reigned for 15 years (A.D. 1112-1127)[2] and was succeeded by his son Kulottunga-Choda II.  Hence the former may be identified with Vikrama-Choladeva who is mentioned in the subjoined inscription, and the latter with Kulottunga-Choladeva to whose reign the inscription belongs.

(Line 1.) Hail! Prosperity! In the 8^th year (of the reign) of the emperor of the three worlds, Sri-Kulottunga-Soladeva.  The writing of us, the great assembly of Manimangalam, alias Pandiyanai-irumadi-ven-kanda-Sola-chaturvedimangalam, in Kunrattur-nadu, (a subdivision) of Kulottunga-Sola-valanadu, (a district) of Jayankonda-Sola-mandalam.

(L. 3.) With the knowledge of the manager of the temple of Vanduvarapati-Emberuman in our village, and of the overseer of the Sri-Vaishnavas, we, the great assembly, have given (the following land), free of taxes, to continue as long as the moon and the sun.

(L. 4.) 210 kuli – two hundred and ten kuli – in the second Kannaru [3] to the east of the Manaiy-arudi channel[4] at the Alaimedu (hill)[5] in this village – which had been purchased for gold as a Tiruvidaiyattam[6]  to this Emberuman from [S]aha[n]ai Madhava-Bhattan.

(L. 5.) And a garden of 169 + ¾ + 2/20 + 1/80 kuli – one hundred and sixty-nine, three quarters, two twentieths and one eightieth kuli, - to the east of the large channel which flows to the north from the large sluice of this village ; to the west of the Alavadi (road) ;[7] to the north of Tiruvidaiyattam of this Emberuman in the second Kannaru ;[8] to the east of the large channel ; (and) to the south of the Kannaru, - which had been purchased for gold in the 13^th year (of the reign) of Sri-Viravali [Uyya]kkondan Bhattan.

(L. 9.) Having heard the order, I, the accountant of this village, Ilakkuvanan Panchanedi. Alumbiran, alias Mahajanapriyan, wrote (the above).  This (is) my writing.

No. 35.- On the outside of the east wall of the inner prakara of the Rajagopala-Perumal temple

This inscription is dated in the 8^th year of the reign of Parakesarivarman, alias Tribhuvanachakravartin  Rajarajadeva (1. 5), and opens with a panegyrical passage, from which we learn nothing of any importance but this is queen bore the name or title Mukkokkilanadigal.[9]  It records that some land near the village was purchased from Sahanai Madhava-Bhattan and assigned to the temple, with the condition that the produce of the land should be applied for providing offerings of boiled rice to the god.

At the time of the inscription of overseer of the Sri-Vaishnavas  was Arattamukkidasan.  As the same officer is referred to in two inscriptions of the 12^th and 28^th years of the reign of Kulottunga-Chola III.  (Nos. 36 and 37 below), it may be assumed either that Parakesarivarman, alias Rajarajadeva, was identical with that Rajarajadeva who succeeded Kulottunga-Chola III. or that he was the predecessor of the latter.  I am inclined to adopt the second alternative, because the present inscription mentions as the person from whom the granted land was purchased a certain Sahanai Madhava-Bhattan, whose name occurs in a similar connection in the inscription of Kulottunga-Chola II.  (No. 34 above).  Hence the king to whose reign the subjoined inscription belongs has to be styled Rajaraja II., and the successor of Kulottunga-Chola III.  will be Rajaraja III.  The reign of Rajaraja II.  would fall between A.D. 1132, the latest date of Kulottunga II,[10] and A.D. 1178, the date of the accession of Kulottunga III.[11]

I have impression of two other inscriptions of Rajaraja II. which open with the same panegyrical introduction.  The first of them, in the Svetaranyesvara temple at Kadapperi near Madurantakam in the Chingleput district (No. 132 of 1896), is dated in the 9^th year ; and the second, in the Ekamranatha temple at Conjeeveram (No. 9 of 1893), is dated in the 15^th year of the reign, “on the day of Punarvasu, which was a Thursday and the fourteenth tithi of the first fortnight of the month of Tai.”…..

(Line 1.) Hail ! Prosperity ! While the goddess of prosperity, who carries a (lotus) flower, the goddess of the earth, the goddess of victory, the goddess of learning, who resided on (his) tongue, and the goddess, of fame lovingly embraced (him), and while all the rules prescribed in the sacred Vedas and the elegant Tamil flourished exceedingly, (the king) put on the jeweled crown by right of royal descent.

(L. 2.) The moon of (his) white parasol was glittering as if it were a matchless hall in which the eight elephants of the quarters abided ;[12] (his) scepter drove away, (like) a prostitute, the dark Kali (age) ; and (his) discus, powerful in battle, accompanied (his) sceptre), extending (his conquests on) the earth.

(L. 3.) Having won the heart (of the goddess) of the earth for countless ages, (he) was pleased to be seated on the throne of heroes, (made) of pure gold, with (his queen) Mukkokkilanadiga, the mistress of the world, while the Villavar (Cheras), Telungar, Minavar (Pandyas), Singalar, Pallavar and other kings prostrated themselves (before him).

(L. 5.) In the 8^th year (of the reign) of (this) king Parakesarivarman, alias the emperor of the three worlds, Sri-Rajarajadeva.

(L. 6.) The writing of us, the great assembly of Manimangalam, alias Pandiyanai-irumadi-men-konda-Sola-chaturvedimangalam, in Kunrattur-nadu, (a subdivision) of Kulottunga-Sola-valanadu, (a district) of Jayankonda-Sola-mandalam.