13 century stone on Chola trade found near Hosur

The team of archaeologists who found the stone claimed that the Highways Department disposed it in a road side pit while widening the Hosur to Denkani kottai State Highways. 

Archaeology and history enthusiast ‘ Aram ’ Krishnan who led the team said that the inscription was related to business activities carried out during the ‘Chola’ kingdom in Hosur and nearby areas. He observed that there were seven lines in the stone. “Many letters got damaged as the stone was not properly maintained,” he said. 

Krishnan said that the inscription also had seven drawing including two lamp stands ( Kuthuvilakku ) and a vessel ( Sombu ) kept on a three-legged stool. “Similar stone inscription were found in Amballi village near Uthankarai in Krishnagiri district,” he added. 

He mentioned that Hosur, in those days named as ‘Murasu Nadu’. “From the inscription, we understand that the place was agriculturally rich and also had a society like body for farmers,” he said and added that they could infer 11 words from it, which hinted names of places there during that time. 

He said that the stone inscriptions give an understanding that Hosur and Uthankarai Taluks could have had similar business activities then. Archaeologists urged the Government to retrieve the stone inscription from the road side pit, conduct a detailed study on it and maintain it in a museum.