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No. 30.] MANNARKOYIL INSCRIPTION OF SUNDARA-CHOLA-PANDYA.
295
the north-western side. Four other hamlets of Rajaraja-chaturvodimangalam, vis. Pambuņāri, Köņādu, Kadaiyam and Pulakkulam alias Vārimāyiletti are also mentioned in this inscription. Of these, Kadaiyam may be identified with the village of the same name, situated to the west of Ambasamudram. The modern name of Palakkulam is Punakkulam? and it is also in the vicinity of Ambåsamudram. I am not able to identify the two others. The position assigned to Beveral of the hamlets would point to the identification of the brahmadöya of Rajarajachaturvedimangalam with the modern village of Brahmadēśam in the same taluka and it may be noted that the Siva temple of Tiruvāliśvaram and the Vishnu temple of RajendrasolaViņnagar which are stated in their inscriptions to be in Rajarāja-chaturvedimangalam, are quite close to Brahmadēśam. From the boandaries described in the grant portion of the subjoined record it appears that at Mannārkogil there was in ancient times another Vishnu temple called Rājaräja-Viņņagar. This has now disappeared. The district of Malli-nadu mentioned above seems to be different from another of the same name in which Shërmidėvi was situated, because while the first was in the subdivision of Mudigoudasola-vaļinādu the second was in Uttamasala-valanādu. Though the names Uttamasõla and Mudigondasola after which the two subdivisions are named may refer to the same Chola king (perhaps Rajendra-Chola I.), yet, as these divisions occur in the inscriptions of the same period, there is not much doubt as to their representing different local areas. Farther, it may be pointed out that the two subdivisions named above comprised different districts. Thus, for instance, the districts of Nechchura-nădu, Kilkala-kūrramt and Kilvēmba-nāļus were in Mudigondasolavalanadu, while Purattaya-nädų, Näñji-nādu? and Marugal-nidus were in the subdivision of Uttamasola-valanādu. A rough idea of the extent of Mudigondasola-valanadu might be formed from the fact that Tinnevelly, Kalugamalai, Ambasamudram and the villages near them were originally included in it. In Uttamasola-valanādu were situated Cape Comorin, Shërmidëvi, and Cholapuram near Nägerkoil. Rājarāja-Päydinādu was the name applied to the Pandya country after its conquest by the Chola king Rajaraja I.; and it mainly consisted of the districts of Madura and Tinnevelly and a part of the Travancore and Pudukkottai States. Thongh the Pandyas were defeated several times on previous occasions and their dominion acquired by the Cholas by conquest, the name of their country does not appear to have been altered prior to the time of Rajaraja I.
Two rivers are mentioned in this record, vis. Mudigondasolapperāru and Rajarājappērāru. As one of the fields sold to the temple is said to have been situated to the north of the former and south of the latter, the relative position of the two is established beyond question and affords facilities for the identification of both. Porundam, the original name of Mudigondasolappörüra is synonymous with the Tamraparņi, which near Mannarköyil runs parallel to its tributary, the Gațanā, and is to the south of it. Rajarajappërūra is, therefore, identical with the Gatani. In passing, it may also be pointed out that the two rivers join within a milo's distance of Mannārkoyil at a place called Tiruppudaimarudar.
TEXT. i Svasti sri (ll"] Ko-Chohadaiyapanmar-iņa Udaiyir sri-Sunta(nad)ra-Sola
Pandiyadëvarkku yandu padin[mi]prā[va]du fri-Rājarāja-Ppandinittu Mudigondaső[la]-valanättu Mul!i-nātu brahmadēyam Sri-Rājarāja
It may be noted that in the Tinnevelly district there are two kinds of tanks, pomak kolam and kalenrattuk. kulam. The former depends on rain for its supply of water, while the latter is fed by a channel from a river.
► Nos, 193 and 194 of the Maras Epigraphical collection for 1898 and No. 106 of the collection for 1905. * No. 18 of the collection for 1804. • See remarks against No: 416 for 1906. .No. 408 of 1906.
* No. 100 for 1896. 1 No. 34 of 1896.
• No. 32 for 1896. • The ca in migrāvadu is written above the line.
