Chola era stone inscription found near T’malai temple

TIRUVANNAMALAI: A stone slab revealing details of donation of land to a temple near Tiruvannamalai was unearthed by Tiruvannamalai Heritage Trust president Raj Paneeerselvam recently, sources said.

The 5-feet-high and 2-feet-wide stone slab with inscription was located in a field near the Sivan temple at Kanji adjacent to Tiruvannamalai. Raj Paneerselvam said that the inscription dated to the period of Chola king Rajarajan III in 1230 AD.

The inscription also has figures of the sun and moon states that land was donated to Karaikandeeswara Nayanar Temple in Kanji. It also stated that the donation would be valid till the sun and moon lasted and added that those who tried to belittle it would be guilty of the sin which accrued when a cow was killed on the banks of the Ganga river.

Though the Chola empire faced attacks and political issues at the time which weakened it, the king continued to donate land to temples, Raj Paneerselvam added.