VILLUPURAM: Archeologists believe that a 9th century inscription found near Villupuram is written by land donators of a lake and a temple during the Chola dynasty. Archeologist Priya Krishanan said that her team came across the inscriptions, written in old Tamil alphabets, while clearing a Shiva temple at Vadakurumbur village near Villupuram.The old Tamil alphabets denote that they were from 9th century. Further research revealed that it was written during first Parandhaga Chozha dynasty, who ruled from 907 to 955 AD.
Kurumbur was then called Kurumbiyur and one of the inscriptions says that on 937 Kaanjai Kamban of Padavur, donating his Arikaal (old measurement) of land, which is in the north side of Navarpulam, after clearing the forest there and to make a lake for the irrigation of farmlands there. Another inscription says that people in the village donated the land for the Shiva temple. This proved that the temple, which didn’t even have any roof, was old. Local residents said that only Sivalingam and Ambigai are there in the temple now.
Hero stone found near Gingee
In another incident, an 8th century hero stone was found near Gingee and experts said that the person on the sculpture might be a security staff in the village at that time. A team, comprising Archeological Awareness Club founder P Lenin and Archeological Protection Club Villupuram district coordinator N Munusamy, found a hero stone in which a man’s structure was made as embossed sculpture.
The person was holding a bow and an arrow, aiming at a target. He was standing by keeping his right leg in front. His hair was decorated with ornaments and has ear rings, beads in neck, rings in his hands and also bracelets on the legs.He also wore decorated sungam in his hip and has a knife with him. Near to him, a dog is standing. Munusamy said that he might be a security for the village and might have died during duty.