17th-Century Stone Inscriptions Discovered in Abandoned Nattakudi Village, Sivaganga

In the abandoned village of Nattakudi in Sivaganga district, members of the Sivagangai Tholnadai Kuzhu have discovered two 17th-century stone inscriptions, bringing the hamlet back into the spotlight.Once home to more than 5,000 families, Nattakudi now stands quiet and empty after its residents moved away. A journalist, R Sivakumar, who was researching the village, stumbled upon inscriptions on two stones at a Pillayar temple here, and alerted K Kaliraja, founder of heritage group Sivaganga Tholnadai Kuzhu.

“The inscription records a land grant made by a royal/ govt representative, Kanagappa Nayakkar, for a special pooja for lord Shiva, and mentions that it is exempted from tax,” says Kaliraja.

“It also says that half the land was to be given as ‘madapuram’ and the other as ‘sarva maniyam’.“Madapuram refers to land granted to a ‘madam’ or a monastery-like establishment, sarva maniyam refers to land given without tax,” says Kaliraja. “Such grants usually came with taxes, but this one was tax-free.”One stone is 4.5ft by 1.5ft, with about 15 lines (five faded); the other is a square of 2ft with 10 lines of writing.

The inscription also contains a warning to deter defacement, stating that anyone who attempts to damage the stones would incur a sin equivalent to killing a karam cow, a breed that is considered rare and sacred and whose milk is used exclusively for temple offerings.“Though no Shiva temples exist in the locality now, it is believed that it must have been destroyed over time or relocated elsewhere. Since the inscription does not contain any mention of Kaliyandu or Sagaptham, which are used to denote the year, its English year cannot be determined,” says Kaliraja.“However, based on the style of the script, it may belong to the 17th century. Unlike the history of Vishwanatha Nayakkar, who ruled over Madurai after the fall of the Vijayanagara empire, not much is known about Kanagappa Nayakkar.”Email your feedback with name and address to southpole.toi@timesofindia.com