Maratha-period inscription found
A stone inscription in Modi script belonging to the period of Maratha ruler of Thanjavur, Prathaba Simhan, has been found at Sri Somanathar Temple at Perumagalur village near Peravurani by a team of epigraphists recently.
Disclosing this to the media, archaeologist Mani. Maran of Saraswathi Mahal Library here said the library authorities received information from the villagers who found a stone inscription in the temple precincts when they took up renovation work.
Subsequently, Mr. Maran and a team of epigraphists - Jambulingam, Thillai. Govindarajan and Ramamurthi - went to the village and studied the stone inscriptions. The inscription recorded the donations made by Prathaba Simhan (A.D. 1753) to the temple in Modi script. Further, it had the stampings usually found on palm leaf or copper plate inscriptions.
The same information is chiselled in Tamil on another side of the stone, measuring five feet in height and two feet in width, he said. But the Tamil inscription is badly damaged.
The temple is situated in Perumagalur about 15 km away from Peravurani in the Peravurani-Aththani-Kattumavadi bus route.
A study of the temple structure and the tank in front of the temple reveal that it could have been constructed during Chola period and maintained by the Pandyas and Maratha rulers subsequently. The structure of the temple tank having water outlet resembles the construction technique adopted during the reign of Chola emperor Rajarajan.
Further, unearthing of bronze idols in the vicinity of the dilapidated temple a few years back when the earth was dug up to lay pipes for Cauvery Combined Water Supply Scheme to this region establishes the fact that this temple belongs to Chola era, he added.
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