Mēlappaḻuvūr, Agastyeśvara temple, time of [name lost], year 22 author of digital edition Valérie Gillet Emmanuel Francis DHARMA Paris, CEIAS DHARMA_INSMelKil00015 DHARMAbase

AIM, southern shrine; on the westernmost wall section of the southern façade of the ardha-maṇḍapa, upper inscription; 22nd regnal year of rivarman = probably Āditya I (circa 893 A.D.); the puḷḷis (the dots added above the letter to signify that the vowel is dropped) are marked, which would confirm a date in the 9th century; the western part of the inscription is built over by the wall of the mukha-maṇḍapa, but we can restore some words because the inscription is similar to and .

Further conversion of digital encoding to DHARMA encoding scheme according to EGD (Encoding Guide for Diplomatic Editions) Conversion to DHARMA encoding scheme according to EGD (Encoding Guide for Diplomatic Editions)

ripammaṟku yāṇṭu Irupattiraṇṭāvatu Avanikantarppa-Īśvaragṛhattu mahādevarkku ce mahaṣivaśettu kṣatriyaṉ potukaṉ perumāṉ yuṭa paḻuvēṭṭaraiyaṉ kumaraṉ maṟavaṉ prasa naṅ kiṭanta bhūmiyaik kalli Eṭṭu māc cey nīr la pōkaṅ koṇṭu Iraṇṭu taḷiIlum Orō nan koṇṭōm Ittaḷip paṭṭuṭaiŌm Ēḻuvōm Ivvi ntaṟpapurattu nakarattār Iddharmmam rakṣippār aṭi En

This is the twenty-second year of Kōvirājakesarivarman. To Mahādeva of the temple gṛhattu of the Lord īśvara of Avanikantappa Mahāṣivaśettu the Kṣatriya, Potukaṉ PerumāṉProbably the donor. by the grace prasadāttiṉāl of Paḻuvēṭṭaraiyaṉ Kumaraṉ Maṟavaṉ having worked kalli on the land bhūmiyai which lies kiṭanta without enjoyment apōhanan, Mahāṣivaśettu the Kṣatriya, Potukaṉ Perumāṉ, gave eight mās eṭṭu mā and one cey of wet land nīrnilam with koṇṭu the produce pōkaṅ of this land, we will have to burn one perpetual lamp nantāviḷakku in each orō of the two temples iraṇṭu taḷi ilum we, the Paṭṭuṭaiyārs of this temple, we the Seven, have taken koṇṭōm the produce to burn the lamps. The Nagarattārs of Avanikantaṟpapuram will protect rakṣippār this endowment iddharmmam. I am a servant aṭi-en.This is probably the beginning of the final expression “May their feet be on my head” aṭi y-eṉ-talai mēlaṉa. However, this would mean that there is a 9th line engraved under the wall, but the following line belongs to another later inscription, . The latter would then begin after the final expression of , in continuation of the 9th line.

The beginning of the lines is built in.

There is probably a 9th line, covered by a later wall, that would be followed on the same line by the beginning of . The inscription would conclude with the usual formula The feet of he who protects this pious donation are on my head., exactly like in

Reported in (ARIE/1923-1924/C/1924/355).

Edited and translated in , based on autopsy and photographs (by Valérie Gillet, 2016-2018).

This digital edition by Valérie Gillet and Emmanuel Francis.

149 15 TBC C/1924 355