Hero Stones / Nadukal / Veerakallu / செங்கம் நடுகற்கள் as Nondi Vediyappan / நொண்டி வேடியப்பன் at Thorapadi, Thiruvannamalai / Tiruvannamalai District, Tamil Nadu.

A featured post on Indiblogger

28^th October 2018

From Padiagragaram we proceed towards Thorapadi. Stopped the vans at the beginning of the Village Thorapadi and walked for about 500 meters to the Nondi Vediyappan Temple, since the concrete road was used to dry the paddy. Two hero stones are erected in an east-west direction, facing each other.  The Nondi Vediyappan temple is open to the sky under a 200 to 300-year-old tamarind tree. Both the hero stones are under worship. The west-facing Hero stone was cleaned and vibhuti was applied for reading the inscriptions.

Already the Villagers are fighting for the Govt’s. 8 lane road project and our actions triggered further. Nondi Vediyappan came on a lady and a man. Both were running towards the temple with one leg   ( Nondi ) and told if anything was done to the hero stones, that person’s hands and legs would break. It was frightening. After taking the photographs, we moved quietly.

LOCATION OF THE HERO STONE:    CLICK HERE

HERO STONE FACING WEST.

The Hero is in a standing position and his head is turned towards the left with a typical Pallava hairstyle. The ears are elongated. The hero holds a sword in his right hand and a shield in his left hand. A half-dress is shown with a katar tied on the hip. A simizhl is shown on the back of Hero.

Vattezhuthu inscriptions are inscribed on the top portion of the hero stone.  As per the inscription this hero stone belongs to 7^th Century Narasimhavarman-I’s 12^th year rule. Kongani king’s son Vaa…cahan was attacked by Siriganga king. In that war Siriganga king’s soldier Kotravinarra Kundranar was killed. The inscriptions reads as….

1. கோவியைய நரைசிங்க பருமற்கு யாண்டு (பன்)
2. னிரண்டாவது கொங்கணி அரசர் மகன் வா…
3. ச்சன் மேற்சென்று சிரிகங்கரைசர் செ…
4. வோர் எறிந்த ஞான்று பட்டார் சிரிகங்கரைசர் சேவ
5. கர் கொற்றவிணற்ற குன்றனார் கல்.

HERO STONE FACING EAST.

In this hero stone, the hero’s head turned towards the left side with a typical Pallava hairstyle. The hero holds a straight sword in his right hand and a shield in his left hand. Simizhl and kendy are shown on both sides of the Hero. A half dress is shown from the Hip to the knee of the hero. The excess cloth after the knot is shown as waving in the wind. This expresses the moving speed of the  Hero towards his opponent. Two toranas are also shown above the hero’s head which signifies that the hero must have held a higher position.

Tamil Vattezhuthu inscriptions are inscribed on the left side of the Hero’s image. As per the inscription, the hero stone was erected during the 6^th Century, Pallava King Mehendravarman’s 10th-year rule. When the Ganga king’s sons Ponnanthiyaar declared war against  Perumugai, the Ganga King’s Soldier / Chieftain  Kundrakkanniyar, who ruled Raatroor was killed. The inscriptions reads as…

1. கோவிசைய மயேந்திர
2. பருமற்கு (பத்து) ஆவதுக
3. ங்கரைசரோடு புறத்து கங்
4. கரைசரு மக்கல் பொன்
5. னந்தியாரு பெருமுகை
6. எறிந்த ஞான்று கங்க
7. ரைசரு சேவகரு எறிந்து
8. பட்டாரு ராராற்றூ ஆண்ட
9. குன்றக்கண்ணியார்
10. கல்

( பத்து என்பதை றண்ணு என்றும் புறத்து என்பதை பவ்வது என்றும் சில ஆய்வாளர்கள் படிக்கின்றனர் ).

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---