The Department of Archeology. Govt of Taminadu, has copied and deciphered number of inscriptions from various districts, during the "intensive Epigraphical Survey” and as a result of this several volumes of inscriptions are being published in a very short period "The inscriptions of Madurai District-Vol. 7, is one among the above said volumes, contains the inscriptions copied from Melur and Madurai North taluks. In this second volume inscriptions copied from Usilampatti, Peraiyur and Thirumangalam taluks are included.
This volume is a good compilation of many Epigraphical records of a number of dynastis like the Pandyas, Cholas, Madurai Nayaks and Modern period. These records will be very helpful to reconstruct the medieval history of this particular region, especially in the fields of socio-political, economical, cultural and religious history of Madurai region.
PERAIYUR TALUK Within the Peraiyur taluk a good number of inscriptions from Mela Thirumanikkam, Mallapuram, Meenakchipuram villages are copied. Among them, one Vattelutthu inscription, which dates back to the ninth century A.D., engraved on the sluice of an irrigation tank of Meenakshipuram village attracts our attention. From this inscription it is understood that the slaice of that tank was constructed by one Sandhan Padalyan Sasivakaranan who was a stone Masion of Arikesari nallur.
From the inscriptions copied from the Siva temple at Mela Thirumanikkam Village, it is very clear that, that Siva temple is an existence at least from tenth century A.D. if not earlier. Here in this temple the inscriptions of Virapandya (946-966 A.D.), who is said to have beheaded Chola King, and the records of the popular Chola King Rajendra Chola 1 are significant records.
From these inscriptions it is clear that the original name of this village is Thirumanickayam and the present name Thirumanikkam is a corrupted form of that original name: The presiding deity of the Siva temple of this village is popularly known as Thirumanikkayam Udaiya Nayanar. Due to some later period renovations of this temple, the early period inscriptions are dislocated and misplaced on the walls and plinth area of the temple. Eventhough, Vira Pandya, who won the Chola, was generally pointed out by the title, Cholan Talai Konda in most of his inscriptions, here in the inscription at Thirumanikkam temple, he is noticed differently with the title, Cholanai Erinja. During the period of Vira Pandya (946-966 A.D.) this temple might have been a popular religious centre, that is why we notice the records of this ruler recording the donations of sheep for lighting of perpetual lamps in this temple.
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