TIRUCHY: A team of city-based historians discovered a 13th-century land measure at Tudaiyur, a small village along the northern bank of the River Cauvery, adjacent to Ayyan channel in Tiruchy - Musiri Highway, recently.
The measure was found at a distance of about 20 km from where the inscription was found. Dr R Akila, Assistant professor, Department of History, Arignar Anna Government Arts College, Musiri during her explorative study at Vishamangalesvarar temple of this village stumbled upon an inscribed land measure that may belong to the 13th century. CEA Selvi of Srirangam assisted Akila during the field work.
Dr R Kalaikkovan, Director, Dr M Rajamanikkanar Centre for Historical Research, who examined the measure, said that several such land measures, some with names and some without any labels, were discovered from several temples in and around Tiruchy, in the past 20 years by the scholars of the centre. The temple at Tudaiyur is said to have been a early Chola creation.
A label engraved in 13th-century palaeography, in large sized letters between the marks read as Iluvai and in all probability, this is the name of the measure, said experts. It is interesting to note that a land measure found by the scholars of the centre in the slope of Moranimalai at Sadaivelanpatti near Thuvarankurichi in 2008 has the same name Iluvai, as inscribed near the measure.