Centuries-Old Pandya King's Inscriptions Found in Tamil Nadu Temple

In a remarkable archaeological find, two 13th-century stone inscriptions belonging to Pandya king Maravarman Sundarapandiyan I have been discovered at the Agatheeswarar temple in Nainarvayal village, near Devakottai in Sivaganga district, Tamil Nadu. The discovery was made by P Velayutharaja, associate professor of history at Alagappa Government Arts College, and Rajendran, president of the Pudukkottai Archaeological Society, following information shared by a local resident, Periyaiya.

The inscriptions, containing 36 and 39 lines respectively, date back to the 14th regnal year of Sundarapandiyan I, who ruled the Pandya kingdom from AD 1216 to 1238 with Madurai as his capital. The texts record the king's donation of two units of tax-free land near a watercourse for performing daily poojas at the temple, which had fallen into neglect over the centuries.

This significant find sheds light on the royal patronage and religious practices of the Pandya dynasty during the 13th century, a period of great historical importance in the region. The inscriptions provide a rare glimpse into the administrative and cultural practices of the time, offering valuable insights for historians and archaeologists studying the region's past.