Thirumalai Sethupathi inscription found in Tiruvadanai

MADURAI: A 368-year-old Thirumalai Sethupathi inscription was discovered at Kattukudi near Tiruvadanai in Ramanathapuram district.

On the information shared by Dr M Palaniappan, Principal of the Government Arts and Science College, Tiruvadanai, about the inscription, V Rajaguru, the President of Ramanathapuram Archaeological Research Foundation with the aid of former panchayat president Sasikumar, estampaged and studied the inscription on a stone pillar that was found broken into two pieces on the north-west of Kaikolar pond.

Rajaguru on Thursday said the stone pillar, which is 66 inches long and 14 inches wide, has a trident at the top and an inscription of 24 lines below it.

It is mentioned that the King Regunatha Thirumalai Sethupathi was a virtue (punniyam) for him. The king donated 50 kalam (measurement of capacity) Viraipadu to Thiruvadanai Adanai Nayakar temple garden, in the Saka era 1579, in the Tamil year ‘Yevilambi’, in the month of Chithirai, during the auspicious period of Shukravaram, Punarpoosam and Shuklapaksham Saptami.

The measurement of land required to sow a specific amount of grain is called ‘Viraipadu’.

“In this inscription, the kalam is mentioned by the symbol of ‘ள’. 50 Kalam was first written as Tamil number and symbol, and then in writing. Its current Gregorian calendar year is 1657 AD,” he said.