Nallūr, Vilvāraṇyeśvara, time of Rājarāja Cōḻa II, year 19

Authors of digital edition: Renato Dávalos (reda), Emmanuel Francis (emfr).

Summary: Most probably a copy of an earlier inscription. It registers the gift of Nallūr and surrounding villages, consisting in 360 vēlis of land, as well as the revenue in taxes from these lands, for the food offerings (tiruppaṭimāṟu) and the sacred service (tiruppaṇi). The donor is the chieftain Āḷappiṟantāṉ Mōkaṉ alias Kaṭavarāyaṉ.

Palaeographic description: Consonants aligned horizontally rather than vertically in Grantha ligature sva. No distinction between Tamil e and ē, o and ō.

Language: Tamil (tam) [Grantha (grantha), Tamil (tamil)].

Repository: Tamil Nadu (varia) (tfa-tamilnadu-epigraphy).

Identifier: DHARMA_INSTamilNadu00031.

File path: DHARMA_INSTamilNadu00031.xml.

Version: 2026-04-17 20:52 (f13bb6a), last modified 2026-04-17 20:48 (281e2dd).

Edition

⟨1⟩ svasti śrī rāja-rāja-de-
⟨2⟩ (vaṟ)ku yāṇṭu 10 9 Āvatu
⟨3⟩ (Ā)ḷappiṟan=tā¡n! mōkaṉ-āṉa kā-
⟨4⟩ ṭavarāyaṉ-ēṉ nallūr Uṭai-
⟨5⟩ yār nalla-nāyaṉāṟku tiruppa-
⟨6⟩ ṇikkum tiru-p-paṭimāṟṟukkum ā-
⟨7⟩ ka v-iṭṭaṉ nallūr (e)llai Aṭa-
⟨8⟩ (ṅ)ka n(i)lam munnūṟṟ’ aṟu-[patu vē]li-
⟨9⟩ yum vaṭa-v-āṟṟaṅkarai-t tiru-nan=tava-
⟨10⟩ ṉam 5 vēliyum kāccuva-k-kuṭi-
⟨11⟩ yil nilam Ai-vē(l)iyum vali-
⟨12⟩ y(ō)caiyil nilam muṉ(ṟu)
⟨13⟩ māvum puñcaṉūril nilam 1/10
⟨14⟩ potu-k-kuṭi nilam 3/20 -(m) n¿i?kki
⟨15⟩ ¡n!a nilam 1/4 -m Āka In-nilaṅkaḷil pā-
⟨16⟩ ṭi-kāva(l u)ḷḷiṭ=ṭa mākkalaṅkaḷum (maṟṟuḷ)-
⟨17⟩ ḷa Ā[yaṅkaḷum] [It-tiru]vellaiy(il) (mā)[k]
⟨18⟩ kācu taṟi-(y)-[iṟai U]ṭpaṭ=ṭa kīḻ iṟai-p pāṭ[ṭa]-
⟨19⟩ ṅkaḷu(m) Aṭa[ṅka] nalla-nāya¡n!āruk[ku]
⟨20⟩ v-iṭṭēṉ I(tu) [pa]nmāheśva(ra)-rakṣai

Apparatus

⟨17⟩ Ā[yaṅkaḷum It-tiru]vēllaiy(il) (mā) [4+] • Reading based on ASI transcript: Āyaṅkaḷum Ittiruvellaiyil mā [2+]

⟨18⟩ taṟi-(y)-[iṟai U]ṭpaṭ=ṭa • Reading after ASI transcript.

⟨19⟩ Aṭa[ṅka] • Reading after ASI transcript.

Translation

⟨1–2⟩ Prosperity! Fortune!

⟨3–9⟩ I, Āḷappiṟantāṉ Mōkaṉ alias Kāṭavarāyaṉ, have made this endowment to Nalla Nāyaṉār, Lord of Nallūr, for the food offerings (tiruppaṭimāṟu) and for the sacred services (tiruppaṇi):

360 vēlis of land that comprise the boundaries of Nallūr,
5 vēlis of land of the sacred garden on the northern bank of the river,
5 vēlis of land for the Kāccuvakuṭi,¹
3/20 ⟨vēlis⟩ in Valiyōcai,²
2/20 ⟨vēlis⟩ of land in Puñcaṉūr,³
3/20 ⟨vēlis⟩ for the new tenants (potukkuṭi), and
deducting (nīkki) 1/4 ⟨vēli⟩ of land.

The other dues (maṟṟuḷḷa āyaṅkaḷ), including the mākkalam levy, i.e. so many kalam of paddy per mā ⟨of land⟩, and the due for safeguarding the lands (pāṭikāval); and the minor cesses (kīḻ-iṟai-p-pāṭṭam), including the tax on loom (taṟi-iṟai) and the mākkācu levy, i.e. one kācu of gold per mā ⟨of land⟩.

This is under the protection of the paṉmaheśvaras.

Commentary

The time of Āḷappiṟantāṉ Mōkaṉ, also known as Kaṭavarāyaṉ, who was active during the reign of Rājarāja II, would place this inscription at approximately 1169 CE. However, this dating would predate the earliest record (ca. 1184 CE) attested at the site (cf. INSTamilNadu00036). Given the fact that another inscription from the 34th regnal year of Kuloṭṭuṅga III (INSTamilNadu00032) explicitly recapitulates the present endowment, it may be suggested that this is in fact a copy of an earlier record.

Bibliography

Reported in ARIE 1939-43 (ARIE/1939-1943/B/1940-1941/145).

This edition by Renato Dávalos, Emmanuel Francis, and Margherita Trento, based on autopsy, photos (E. Francis, 2024), and ASI transcript.

ASI transcript consulted in Mysore by Renato Dávalos and Margherita Trento (September 2025) with the kind permission of the Director of Epigraphy.

Secondary

ARIE 1939-43. Annual reports on South Indian epigraphy for the years 1939-40 to 1942-43. Edited by C. R. Krishnamacharlu and N. Laksminarayan Rao. Delhi: Government of India, 1952. Page 92, item 145, appendixes B/1940-1941.

Notes

1. The village is nowadays known as Kaccakuṭi.
2. The village called Valacai.
3. The village is called nowadays Piñcaṉūr. These three villages are contiguous to Nallūr.

Display Options Word Wrap Line Numbers Comments Processing Instructions

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<title>Nallūr, Vilvāraṇyeśvara, time of Rājarāja Cōḻa II, year 19</title>

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<summary>Most probably a copy of an earlier inscription. It registers the gift of Nallūr and surrounding villages, consisting in 360 <foreign>vēli</foreign>s of land, as well as the revenue in taxes from these lands, for the food offerings <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>tiruppaṭimāṟu</foreign></supplied> and the sacred service <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>tiruppaṇi</foreign></supplied>. The donor is the chieftain Āḷappiṟantāṉ Mōkaṉ alias Kaṭavarāyaṉ.

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<p>Consonants aligned horizontally rather than vertically in Grantha ligature <foreign>sva</foreign>. No distinction between Tamil <foreign>e</foreign> and <foreign>ē</foreign>, <foreign>o</foreign> and <foreign>ō</foreign>.</p>

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<lb n="1"/><hi rend="grantha">svasti śrī</hi>

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<lb n="2" break="no"/><unclear>vaṟ</unclear>ku yāṇṭu <num value="19"><g type="numeral">10</g> 9</num> Āvatu

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<lb n="3"/><unclear>Ā</unclear>ḷappiṟan=tā<choice><orig>n</orig><reg>ṉ</reg></choice> mōkaṉ-āṉa kā

<lb n="4" break="no"/>ṭavarāyaṉ-ēṉ nallūr Uṭai

<lb n="5" break="no"/>yār nalla-nāyaṉāṟku tiruppa

<lb n="6" break="no"/>ṇikkum tiru-p-paṭimāṟṟukkum ā

<lb n="7" break="no"/>ka v-iṭṭaṉ

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nallūr <supplied reason="explanation">e</supplied>llai Aṭa

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vaṭa-v-āṟṟaṅkarai-t tiru-nan=tava

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<lb n="11" break="no"/>yil nilam Ai-vē<unclear>l</unclear>iyum vali

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<lb n="14"/>potu-k-kuṭi nilam 3/20 -<unclear>m</unclear> n<choice><sic>i</sic><corr>ī</corr></choice>kki

<lb n="15"/><choice><orig>n</orig><reg>ṉ</reg></choice>a nilam 1/4 -m Āka

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In-nilaṅkaḷil

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pā

<lb n="16" break="no"/>ṭi-kāva<unclear>l u</unclear>ḷḷiṭ=ṭa mākkalaṅkaḷum

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<unclear>maṟṟuḷ</unclear>

<lb n="17" break="no"/>ḷa Ā<supplied reason="lost">yaṅkaḷum</supplied>

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<supplied reason="lost">It-tiru</supplied>vellaiy<unclear>il</unclear> <unclear>mā</unclear><supplied reason="lost">k</supplied>

<lb n="19" break="no"/>ṅkaḷu<unclear>m</unclear>

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Aṭa<supplied reason="lost">ṅka</supplied> nalla-nāya<choice><orig>n</orig><reg>ṉ</reg></choice>āruk<supplied reason="lost">ku</supplied>

<lb n="20"/>v-iṭṭēṉ

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<p>

I<unclear>tu</unclear> <supplied reason="lost">pa</supplied><hi rend="grantha">nmāheśva<unclear>ra</unclear>-rakṣai</hi>

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<lem>Ā<supplied reason="lost">yaṅkaḷum It-tiru</supplied>vēllaiy<unclear>il</unclear> <unclear>mā</unclear> <gap quantity="4" unit="character" reason="lost"/></lem>

<note>Reading based on ASI transcript: <foreign>Āyaṅkaḷum Ittiruvellaiyil mā <gap quantity="2" unit="character" reason="lost"/></foreign></note>

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<note>Reading after ASI transcript.</note>

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<note>Reading after ASI transcript.</note>

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Prosperity! Fortune!

</p>

I, Āḷappiṟantāṉ Mōkaṉ alias Kāṭavarāyaṉ, have made this endowment to Nalla Nāyaṉār, Lord of Nallūr, for the food offerings <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>tiruppaṭimāṟu</foreign></supplied> and for the sacred services <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>tiruppaṇi</foreign></supplied>:

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<p>

<list>

<item>360 <foreign>vēli</foreign>s of land that comprise the boundaries of Nallūr,</item>

<item>5 <foreign>vēli</foreign>s of land of the sacred garden on the northern bank of the river,</item>

<item>5 <foreign>vēli</foreign>s of land for the Kāccuvakuṭi,<note>The village is nowadays known as Kaccakuṭi.</note></item>

<item>3/20 <supplied reason="subaudible">vēlis</supplied> in Valiyōcai,<note>The village called Valacai.</note></item>

<item>2/20 <supplied reason="subaudible">vēlis</supplied> of land in Puñcaṉūr,<note>The village is called nowadays Piñcaṉūr. These three villages are contiguous to Nallūr.</note> </item>

<item>3/20 <supplied reason="subaudible">vēlis</supplied> for the new tenants <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>potukkuṭi</foreign></supplied>, and </item>

<item>deducting <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>nīkki</foreign></supplied> 1/4 <supplied reason="subaudible">vēli</supplied> of land.</item>

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The other dues <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>maṟṟuḷḷa āyaṅkaḷ</foreign></supplied>, including the <foreign>mākkalam</foreign> levy, i.e. so many <foreign>kalam</foreign> of paddy per <foreign>mā</foreign> <supplied reason="subaudible">of land</supplied>, and the due for safeguarding the lands <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>pāṭikāval</foreign></supplied>; and the minor cesses <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>kīḻ-iṟai-p-pāṭṭam</foreign></supplied>, including the tax on loom <supplied reason="explanation"><foreign>taṟi-iṟai</foreign></supplied> and the <foreign>mākkācu</foreign> levy, i.e. one <foreign>kācu</foreign> of gold per <foreign>mā</foreign> <supplied reason="subaudible">of land</supplied>.

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This is under the protection of the <foreign>paṉmaheśvaras</foreign>.

</p>

</div>

<p>

The time of Āḷappiṟantāṉ Mōkaṉ, also known as Kaṭavarāyaṉ, who was active during the reign of Rājarāja II, would place this inscription at approximately 1169 CE. However, this dating would predate the earliest record (ca. 1184 CE) attested at the site (cf. <ref target="DHARMA_INSTamilNadu00036.xml"/>). Given the fact that another inscription from the 34th regnal year of Kuloṭṭuṅga III (<ref target="DHARMA_INSTamilNadu00032.xml"/>) explicitly recapitulates the present endowment, it may be suggested that this is in fact a copy of an earlier record.

</p>

</div>

<p>Reported in <bibl><ptr target="bib:ARIE1939-1943"/></bibl> (ARIE/1939-1943/B/1940-1941/145).</p>

<p>This edition by Renato Dávalos, Emmanuel Francis, and Margherita Trento, based on autopsy, photos (E. Francis, 2024), and ASI transcript.</p>

<p>ASI transcript consulted in Mysore by Renato Dávalos and Margherita Trento (September 2025) with the kind permission of the Director of Epigraphy.</p>

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