15th
December 2019.
In the 10th 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 part of Thondai Mandalam during the Chola and Pallava periods. This type of Hero stone is considered rare, since only 4 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 have been followed till the 10th 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 achieving victory in the war, for the wellness of kings, or
to get cured from diseases, 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 air.
In this "Thoongu Thalai Hero Stone", the hero is about
3 feet high and in a 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 Saptakanniyar temple
Harichandran in this village near the burial ground
A Murugan temple
An Amman temple in the village
---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---
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