VILLUPURAM: Two archeology professors discovered a 10 CE stone grinder allegedly used to grind lamp oil for a nearby Shiva temple, at Sellangkuppam village in Kedar, on Tuesday. The inscription on the stone bears information on the etymology of Kedar, relating to King Rajendran Chozhan I, sources said.
T Ramesh and T Ranganathan, assistant professors at Aringar Anna Arts College in Villupuram discovered the stone grinder after gathering information from the locals. “Stone grinders, known as ‘chekku’ were a part of the great tradition of the Tamils, who used to grind oil from seeds, nuts and powders for cooking. But those chekku were usually bigger. The one we found was used to make smaller quantities of oil, perhaps for lighting lamps at the nearby temple,” Ramesh told TNIE.
The three-line inscription on stone read: “Svathasthasri Icchekku Vaiththen; Vilakerikka Aavadugan Kavaranaen; Idhil Aaatinaar Oru Uzhakku Yennai Atuga” (This stone grinder was used to grind oil for lamps, ground by one Aavadugan Kavaranaen, and those who grind using this stone must yield one uzhakku (an ancient brass measuring cup/bowl) of oil).
Ranganathan said the cryptograph denoted it must be from around 10 CE. Tools from this period bear the name of the king and period. “By this, we can understand that when Rajendra Chozhan I invaded Kidaram (now Malaysia) he was popularly called Kidaram Kondan, and even today, there is a place in Tiruvarur district named after the title. Likewise, today’s Kedar would have been called ‘Kidaram’, and over centuries, became ‘Kedar’.”
The professors said such findings in Villupuram make the district rich with archeological treasures, and called for protection and valid recognition of them. For more than a decade, there have been demands for a museum in the district, sources said.