On the south and east walls, central shrine, Umāmahēśvarasvāmin temple.
Year 8, 143 day: 979 A.D.
This inscription begins with a statement that Sembiyan Mahādēvi, the dowager queen had converted the temple of God Mahādēva at Tirunallam in Veṇṇāḍu into a stone temple in the name of (her husband) Gaṇḍarādittan and had arranged for the raising of a flower garden (tirunandavanam) also in the name of Gaṇḍarādittan. To meet the expenditure on the maintenance (for koṟṟu and puḍavai) of the four persons who were appointed to tend that garden she set apart the yield of 224 kalam from 2 vēli of land at Kīḻaḍuguvilai in Veṇṇāḍu which she had purchased from the sabhā of Tirunallam. This land of two vēli was made iṟaiyili with the status of nandavānappuṟam and dēvadāna-iṟaiyili in favour of God Mahādēva of Tirunallam by the king, Parakēsarivarman, on the representation made to him. Those who were already in the occupation of this land, were removed (to enable the grantee, temple, to make its own arrangement for the cultivation of the said land). It is also stated that the donee ie the temple was entitled to the rights of kārāṇmai and miyāṭchi. The grant was made effective from the third regnal year of the king. Several officials figure as those involved in this process.
Then again when the king Parakēsarivarman was staying in the courtyard in the Viṭṭavīḍu of Vaḍakku Pichchankōyil in Kaḍambūr on the 240th day of his 7th year (978 A.D.) it was represented to him that on or after constructing the temple she Sembiyaṉ Mahādēvi had reviewed the arrangements that had been made for carrying out the various services to God Mahādēva and also for feeding 25 brāhmaṇas daily for the merit of Uḍaiyār (king ?) for which she had established a śālai, the expenses on which were designed to be met by the apportionment of the pañchavāra income of 600 kalam from 12 vēli of land in Pūṅguḍi, the old dēvadāna of the god and another 200 kalam remittable as pañchavāram from 4 vēli of land in Musiṭṭaikkuḍi which lands had been made dēvadāna-iṟaiyili after removing the old occupants with effect from the regnal year six (977 A.D.). However, the above said eight hundred kalam had been found insufficient for carrying out the expenses on the said services on the apportionment (nibandam). For the carrying out of the nibandam as stated above a further 652 kalam, tūṇi and padakku was found as essential. Further the feeding of the 25 brāhmaṇas for one year a total of 937 kalam, tūṇi and padakku of paddy was separately required. Thus a new arrangement for securing the total 1590 kalam of paddy had to be made for this purpose. For this, twelve vēli of Iḷanilaṁ land in Veṇṇāḍu was required to be granted as dēvadānam and sālābhōgam free of taxes (iṟaiyili). On being so represented the king granted the required land as dēvadānam and sālābhōgam after removing the old occupants and entitling the land to kārāṇmai and miyāṭchi with effect from the paśāṉam of the seventh regnal year (978 A.D.) after observing all the official formalities. The boundaries of the land-village granted were mentioned in great detail and the irrigation rights to which the said village land was entitled was also specified in detail. In this context while detailing the boundaries, a garden called Sembiyanmahādēvi-tirunandavānam is also mentioned.
Again on the 143rd day in his eighth regnal year (979 A.D.) the king Parakēsarivarman when he was present at the palace Ādibhūmi in Viṭṭavēḍu of Karaikāṭṭu-Paṉaiyūr it was represented to him the apportionment (nibandam) for the above income of the temple may be made and he arranged for the same to be done. On making the nibandam it was realized that from the income fifteen more brāhmaṇas could also be fed in addition to the twenty-five already stipulated for. The apportionment made is recorded in great detail.
Published in S.I.I., Vol. III. Nos. 151 and 151A.
mahā devar koyil
Digital edition of SII 32, part 2, no. 52 by