Nagercoil :

A stone tablet bearing inscriptions, which was recently found in a small Vishnu temple in Kanyakumari district, has revealed that Devadasis served even in small temples.

During renovation work at the centuries-old Alagiya Manavala Perumal temple (Vishnu temple) in Puthugramam, a small village about 5 km from Nagercoil, three stone inscriptions were found. Two of them were found in the south-side wall of the temple’s ‘Karuvarai’ (sanctum) and the third in the south side outer wall of the temple, said Chenthee Natarajan, director of the Chembavalam Research Base and member of Epigraphical Society of India from Nagercoil, who began a detailed study on the inscriptions. The first two inscriptions were complete, but the third was incomplete. The stone inscriptions were written using Tamil and Grantha script. The pattern of the script indicated that the stone tablets belonged to the 18th Century but the years mentioned in inscriptions 1 and 2 is 1362 and 1365. “The matter inscribed on the stone tablets might have first been written on palm leaf manuscripts or on copper plates (in 1362 and 1365) and later (in the 18th Century) it might have been copied onto the stone tablets,” said Chenthee Natarajan.

On the stone inscription 1, the main deity of the temple was mentioned as Udaya Marthanda Vinnagar Emperuman and the village’s name mentioned as Puthugramamaana Raaja Narayana Sathurvedhi Mangalam. The tablet recorded information about a king gifting 2 ‘Maa’ (land measurement used during that period) to the deity for the temple. Though the name of the king was not mentioned, Venad King Ravi Varma ruled during that period, so it could be assumed that he gifted the land, said Chenthee Natarajan. The king’s brother had gifted one more ‘Maa’ to the deity and this information was found on tablet 2. The inscription 3 was incomplete and it contains information about Devadasis, added Chenthee Natarajan.

Several inscriptions found earlier in the district revealed the services rendered by Devadasis in big temples like Suchinduram, Boothapandy, Kanyakumari nd Parakkai. But Devadasi’s serving even in small temples was revealed only through this inscription, said folklorist and treasurer of Chembavalam Research Base, Dr A K Perumal. Devadasis were also referred to as ‘Kudikarigal’ and ‘Devar Adiyaar’.

The stone inscription 3 found at the Puthugramam temple mentions the presence of ‘Rendam Kudi’ (second category) and ‘Munaam Kudi’ (third category) of Devadasis at this temple, added A K Perumal.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by S. Mahesh / July 08th, 2015