A stone inscription and an idol of a god and a pedestal, all dating back to 12th century AD, were unearthed in the Veerakulam area near Ayakudi here on Saturday.
Palani was an economically strategic point and hosted a market during the Pandyan dynasty, according to historian and archaeologist P Kannimuthu, who along with Tamil Nadu Archaeological Research Institute secretary V Narayanamoorthy, unearthed the artefacts.
“Palani is the best example of temple architecture in Tamil Nadu. Many ancient inscriptions have displayed this pride,” he said.
It was one such inscription and some statues — describing the famed temple situated in the area — that were found during an excavation carried out near the Ayakudi area.
Such artefacts have rarely been found in Asia, the experts pointed out.
Narayanamoorthy said that the latest finds also describe Ayakudi pride. “These inscriptions and statues were displayed during the Pandiya rule in this region. The first one depicts the Ayakudis’ pride, the temple structures and construction work. It also shows the declining state of the temple and the region,” he said. The inscriptions also explain the methods employed in the Pandya region for the provision of holy water in the temple and the vast tracts of land surrounding it and also for land renovation. Of Sunday’s finds, the statue with the pedestal was significant since the important artefact described the practice of ‘land donation’.
“A major portion of the particular statue is damaged and hence we have not been able to study it properly,” Narayanamoorthy said.