Thoongu Thalai or Thooku Thalai Hero Stone / Nadukarkal / Veerakallu / நடுகற்கள் / வீரகற்கள் at Pallur, Ranipet District, Tamil Nadu.

15^th December 2019.

This 10^th Century, Chozha Period Nadukal or a Hero stone of type “Thoongu Thalai or Thooku Thalai” is found erected for a hero who sacrificed himself to Kotravai,  at Pallur in Ranipet District. The Pallur Village was a part of Thondai Mandalam during the Chozhas and Pallavas period. This type of Hero stone is considered a rare one, since only 4 numbers have been identified in Tamil Nadu, to date. The word “Thoongu Thalai -  தூங்கு தலை” – is inscribed, on a hero stone found at Thirumalaichery Village of Vellore District. With the available evidence, this type of sacrifice may be followed till the 10^th Century. The Thoongu Thalai, hero stones are mentioned in Sangam literature Kalingathu Parani also,  which reads as...

“வீங்குதலை நெடுங்கழையின் விசைதொறும்

திசைதொறும் விழித்துநின்று தூங்கு தலை..”

--- கலிங்கத்துப்பரணி பாடல் எண் 117

Usually, Thoongu Thalai's sacrifice to Goddess Kotravai will be for various reasons.  The reasons may include, to get victory in the war, for the wellness of kings, or to get cured from deceases, etc,.

The procedure adopted is, that the tuft of the hero’s head will be tied to one end of the bamboo with flexibility called “Thalai Thoongu Nedumaram”.  The head of the hero will be chopped off by a person and the head will be lifted in the space. 

In this Thoongu Thalai Hero stone the hero is about 3 feet high and in sitting posture, keeping his hands on his lap. The head is shown with a gap of about 1.5 inches and the tuft is tied to the bamboo. No ornaments are shown. The hero stone has the inscription starting with the Meikeerthi or the title of Parantaka Chozha-I ( 907 – 955 CE ) as “ Madurai Konda Koparakesari...” – “மதிரை கொண்ட கோப்பரகேசரி...“ The rest of the inscriptions are highly eroded and are not legible.

 

LOCATION:

This Thoongu Thalai Nadukal is erected on the side of the Elementary  School of Pallur. 

Ref:  "Thadayaththai Thedi"-published by Yaaooyakey & Celebrate Kanchi”.

 Inscriptions are not legible

  A Sapta kanniyar Temple

 Harichandran in this Village  near the burial  ground

 A Murugan temple

An Amman Temple in the Village 

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---