Coimbatore, July 14, 2013: S. Ravi, Lecturer, PSG College of Arts and Science, has said that he had found a 13{+t}{+h}Century inscription near Dharapuram in Tirupur district.

A release from the Tamil faculty says that the 120-cm tall and 25-cm wide stone inscription near a temple in Navanari village talks about land donated to a temple.

In 11 lines, the front portion of the stone inscription talks about Kongu Veerapandian, his donation of land to a Siva temple in Thirukadai Kurichi. The land donated has been identified Veerapandia Nallur, which the author interprets to be Navanari.

He says that the meaning of ‘Periya Naruva Naliaana Veerapandia Nallur’ means that the Navanari of today was earlier identified in the 13{+t}{+h}Century as ‘Periya Naruva Nali’.

The word ‘Devadhanam’ means that the land was donated to the Siva temple. The trident on the rear portion of the stone inscription confirms this. Plus, the word ‘Udayar’ refers to the presiding Siva deity of the village.

Mr. Ravi also says that Kongu Veerapandian was the first Kongu Pandian ruler of the area.

The Veerapandia Perari near Perundurai, Veerapandi village

near Periyanaickenpalayam and other villages or hamlets by this name refers to Kongu Veerapandian.

Source: The Hindu, DT. July 14, 2013.