# Cāḷuvaṉ Kuppam, time of Nantippōttaraiyaṉ, year 12

Emmanuel Francis

Author of digital edition: Emmanuel Francis

Identifier: DHARMA_INSPallava00505

Repository: Pallava (tfa-pallava-epigraphy)

File path: DHARMA_INSPallava00505.xml

Language: Tamil [Grantha, Tamil]

Commit: 2026-11-11 17:29 (458e70c), last modified 2026-09-29 11:09
(6edbbfa)

## Summary

Pillar inscription recording a donation of gold for providing food a the
time of the Karttikai festival in Tiruviḻicil.

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## Edition

⟨Zone 1⟩ ⟨1⟩ svasti śrī

⟨na⟩n=ti⟨2⟩-p-pōtt-arai⟨3⟩yaṟkku paṉ⟨4⟩ṉ-iraṇṭ-āva⟨tu⟩ ⟨Zone 2⟩

⟨5⟩ (śrī)-mā-malla⟨6⟩-purattu kīrai⟨7⟩-p-piriyaṉ ⟨8⟩ tiru-¡I!⟨v-i⟩ḻiccil
⟨9⟩ (sa) [1+] (hāsi)(ra) ⟨Zone 3⟩ ⟨10⟩ śrīkku patiṉ ⟨11⟩ kaḻañcu po⟨12⟩ṉ
kuṭuttā⟨13⟩ṉ

Ataṉ po⟨14⟩li-y-ūṭṭu ko⟨15⟩ṇ⟨16⟩ṭu ⟨17⟩ kārt⟨18⟩tikai⟨19⟩-y
kār⟨20⟩tti⟨21⟩kai (nā)⟨22⟩ṉṟu ⟨23⟩ viḻā⟨24⟩-c ce⟨25⟩yt’ ū⟨26⟩ṭṭu⟨27⟩vō(m
ā)⟨28⟩ṉō⟨29⟩m sapai⟨30⟩yōm

⟨31⟩ Ivv-ūrum ⟨32⟩ kīrai-p-piri⟨33⟩yaṉukk’ oṭ⟨34⟩ṭi kuṭuttō⟨35⟩(m)

## Apparatus

⟨1⟩ ⟨na⟩n=ti° ⬦ nanti° I B; nandi R • The correct reading has been
assessed from photos (Subramanian 2005–11–04; 2008, by Emmanuel
Francis).

⟨4⟩ °āva⟨tu⟩ ⬦ I; °āva⟨5⟩tu R; °āva(tu) B.

⟨9⟩ (sa)[1+](hāsi)(ra) ⬦ I; sa[2+]bhiasira R; capaiyō [2+] B.

⟨17⟩ kārt⟨18⟩tikai⟨19⟩-y kār⟨20⟩tti⟨21⟩kai ⬦ I R; kāt⟨18⟩tikai⟨19⟩-y
kā⟨20⟩tti⟨21⟩kai B.

## Translation

⟨1⟩ Prosperity! Fortune!

⟨1–4⟩ Twelfth year of Nantippōttaraiyaṉ.[1]

⟨5–13⟩ Kīraippiriyaṉ of the (glorious) Māmallapuram gave ten kaḻañcus of
gold for […] ⟨of/at⟩ Tiruviḻicil.

⟨13–30⟩ We, the members of the assembly have become those who, with the
interest of that ⟨gold⟩, will provide food (ūṭṭuvōm), when celebrating
(ceytu) the festival at the time of Karttikai[2] ⟨in the month of⟩
Karttikai.

⟨31–35⟩ We commit ourselves to give[3] to/for Kīraippiriyaṉ of this
village.

## Bibliography

Edited in Irājavēl 2006 (Āvaṇam 17.23.1), in Rajavelu 2008, in B.

This digital edition by Emmanuel Francis, based on the previous
editions. The distinction between initial and medial vowels, and between
Grantha and Tamil letters could not be implemented with full confidence.
The present digital edition is thus provisional and should be revised
with proper visual documentation.

### Primary

[I] Irājavēl, Cu. 2006. “cāluvaṅkuppam cila putiya kalveṭṭukaḷ.” Āvaṇam
17, pp. 127–129. Pages 127–128, item 1.

[R] Rajavelu, S. 2008. “Recent discoveries near Mamallapuram.” In:
Airāvati: Felicitation volume in honour of Iravatham Mahadevan. Chennai:
Varalaaru.com, pp. 177–190. Pages 181–182, item 1.

[B] Badhreenath, Sathyabhama. 2015. Śāḷuvan̤kuppam excavations 2005-07.
New Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India. Pages 147–149, item 1.

### Secondary

Subramanian, T.S. 2005–11–04. “Another surprise in Mamallapuram.”
Frontline 22 (22), pp. 130–134.

[1] Sanskrit Nandin + Tamil Pōttaraiyar. That is, the Pallava king
Nandin.

[2] See MTL, s.v. kārttikai: “4. cf. kārttika. The full-moon day in the
month of Kārttikai when every house is beautifully lit with lamps”.

[3] That is, to have the deposited gold used for the purpose indicated.