Aragalur

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No. 180.

(A.R. No. 160 of 1904).

Tiruppalappandal, Cuddalore Taluk, South Arcot District.

On the east base of the mandapa in front of the central shrine in the madyastha-nathesvara temple.

Kulottunga III. Year [20] : 1197-98 A.D.

The donor figuring in this inscription is Punniyavatti, the mother of Aragalurudaiya Ponparappinan Rajarajadevan alias

Magadesan, the well-known Bana chief of Magadai-mandalam.

It recordsa gift of income from taxes, including ayam, antarayam, padikaval, tari-irai, and sekkiraippattam on wet and dry

lands in the village of Tiruppalaippandal to god Tirunagisuram-udaiya Nayanar of the place, by the donor, mentioned above.

No. 185.

(A.R. No. 165 of 1904).

Tiruppalappandal, Cuddalore Taluk, South Arcot District.

On the south wall of the Kanakambika shrine in the Madhyasthanathesvara temple.

Dunmukhi.

The details of date given are Dunmukhi, Kattigai, 25, Palaeographically this inscription may be assigned to the 18th century.

It mentions the desolation of the parru on account of the death of Rayar and the measures taken by the mahajanas and tanattar

of the place for the god consecrated by the Mudalis of Aragalur. This inscription is unfinished.

No. 164.

(A.R. No. 122 of 1906).

Jambai, Tirukkoyilur Taluk, South Arcot District.

On the gopura (left of entrance) of the Jambunatha temple.

It is stated in this inscription dated in the 11th year, that Vanakovaraiyan Rajarajadevan Vannenjarayan[8] of Aragalur,

probably a subordinate of Kopperunjingadeva, exempted, from the 7th year, the village Gunamangalam situated on the ‘southern

bank of the Pennai’ and belonged to the god Tiruttantonri Avudaiya-Nayanar at Senbai alias Virarajendrasolapuram, from the

payment of the taxes kasayam, ponvari, alamanji and antarayam, so that it might be brought under cultivation. The village

Gunamangalam may be identified with the village of the same name in the Tirukkoyilur taluk.

It is learnt from this inscription that Vanagoppadi-nadu was on the north bank of the river Pennai.[9]

No. 191.

(A.R. No. 96 of 1906).

Jambai, Tirukkoyilur Taluk, South Arcot District.

ON the west wall of the outer mandapa in the Jambunatha temple.

This inscription, also of the 16th year, registers the agreement made by the nattavar of the territory situated to the north

of the river Avinai and to the south of the Pennai, to conduct, for the welfare of the chief, a festival called Vannenjan-

tirunal in the month of Purattadi (August-September) in the temple of Tiruttantonri Aludaiya-Nayanar at Sanbai, from the

income in paddy assigned for the purpose by Vennenja-Nayanar. ‘Vannenja’ was evidently identical with the chief

Vanakovaraiyan Rajarajadevan Vannenjan of Aragalur, a subordinate of Kopperunjingadeva.[7]

The date of this record is A.D. 1258, December 9, Monday.

No. 234.

(A.R. No. 154 of 1906).

Elavanasur, Tirukkoyilur Taluk, South Arcot District.

On the west wall of the second prakra of the Gramardhanathesvara temple.

In the present inscription, it is stated that a gift made in the 2nd year was engraved on stone in the 30th year of the

chief. It records a gift of 1 veli of land in Mambattur, free of taxes, for providing worship and offerings in the temple of

Urbagankondaruliya-Mahadeva at Iraiyanaraiyur alias Solakerala-chaturvedimangalam, a brahmadeya in Paranur-kurram, a

subdivision of Maladu alias Jananatha-valanadu, by Vanakovaraiyar Vannenja-Nayanar. The document is attested by the Kelvi-

mudali Singalarayar, Ra[ja]virarayar and Rajendrasola-Brahmarayar and by Viluppadarayar, the engraver of royal records.

The donor, who belongs to Aragalur, had already figured in the 11th year of Kopperunjingadeva.

The village Mambattu is identical with Mambalappattu in the Villupuram taluk and close to Tirukkoyilur.

According to the astronomical details given, the date of the record is A.D. 1272, October 10, Monday.

No. 235.

(A.R. No. 159 of 1906).

On the same wall.

This is similar to the above inscription and it is also dated in the 30th year. It registers a gift of 1 veli of land in

Puttendal-kalani situated in Mambattur made in the 3rd year, to the same god and for the same purpose by Ponparappina

Vanakovaraiyar. Among the Kelvi-mudalias, Singalarayar, Madhurantaka-Brahmarayar and Kurukularayar, attested the record.

Ponparappinavelar, the officer who drafted orders also attested the document.

The donor mentioned in this inscription was a chief of Aragalur, a town in the present Attur taluk of the Salem district. His

ancestors served the Chola king Kulotltunga-Chola III from about A.D. 1182[2]. Ponparappinan is a family title referring to

the gilding of the central shrine of the Arunachalesvara temple at Tiruvannamalai.

The astronomical details given here are the same as those in the previous inscription.

Another set of verses (Nos. 381-383 and 385) engraved not on the rockcut temple but on the rock behind the Ayyanar (Arai for

short –in No. 385). They are Rajarajan, his son ponparappina-perumal and his second chief called as vira Magadan

Rajarajadevan pon parappinan Magadaipprumal. This chief also called, Rajarajadevan ponparappinan alias vanakovaraiyan of

Aragalur, figures in the records of Kulottunga III from Tiruvannamalai (S.I.I. Vol.III Nos 283, 284 &296) This Chief is

described as vadugerinda-Magadesan in No.381. The term ‘vadugerinda’ may be taken to mean that he' overthrew the vadugas’.

Vadugais an expression that is used to denote the northerner. Since this chief is known to have been also a subordinate to

Kopperunjinas (S.I.I.Vol.XII. No.235) It is possible that he took part in the latter campaign In the north against the

Kakatiya i.e., the northerner the circumstances under which the Bana chief turned against the pandya as evidenced by Nos.381

and 383 are not clear.

Kopperunjinga’s successful career may be ascribed to his resources in men and money. His large reserves of gold, elephants

and horses are referred to in the inscriptions of Jatavarman Sundara-Pandya commencing with the words Pumalar valar. His

capital Sendamangalam is also stated in the same prasasti to have been protected by strong fortification. He was served by a

faithful band of warriors, chief among whom were Sola-Kon[74] alias Perumal-Pillai of Arasur, the latter’s younger brother

Venadudaiyan[75] and Pillaiyar Nilagangaraiyar. Sola-Kon served in the region round about the modern Chidambaram till about

A.D. 1261-62 when his brother Venadudaiyan succeeded him. Nilagangaraiyar was in charge of the present Chingleput and the

surrounding country. Some of the other officers of Kopperujinga were Ponparappina Vanakovaraiyar (No. 235), Siya-Ganga ‘the

lord of Kuvalalapura’ (No. 202), Rajarajadevan Ammaiyan Valavarayan (No. 189), Rajarajadevan Vannenjan (No. 191), Aniyan

Muvendaraiyan (No. 142) and the Samantamudali Senai Narasingapanman.[76]

43. To the shepherd Kari Tarai, residing at Rajarajapuram in Nallur-nadu, (a subdivision) of Nittavinoda-valanadu, were

assigned ninety-six ewes out of the ewes given by Rajaraja-Vanogavaraiyan for sacred lamps. From (the milk of these ninety-

six ewes) he himself land his dependents, (viz.) his sons Tarai Karumani and Tarai Tiruvengadam; and (his) uterine brother

Kari Narayanan, have to supply (one) urakku of ghee per day, for one sacred lamp, by the Adavallan (measure).

Perundaram Rajaraja-Vanakovaraiyan, (perhaps identical with Vanogavaraiyan of paragraph 43)

No. 278

(A. R. No. 278 of 1907)

Tiruvidaimarudur, Kumbhakonam Taluk, Tanjavur District

Mahalingasvami temple – on a pillar of the same mandapa

Rajaraja I : year 9 : 993-94 A.D.

This records a gift of a gold tali (marriage string) set with a double row of gems weighing 9½ kalanju, a necklace of 27

pearls and a pair of pearl sidukku to the image of the goddess Uma-Bhataraki by Vanakovaraiyan Porkali, a maid servant of

queen Panchavanmadevi residing at Kodandarama-velam (quarter ?) at Tanjavur, during the administration (of the temple) of

Kulalurudaiyar.

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