Medavakkam Eri Sluice inscription/ மேடவாக்கம் ஏரி மதகு (தூம்பு) கல்வெட்டு, Medavakkam, Chennai District, Tamil Nadu.

The visit to this Eri Thoombu inscription stone was part of a visit to "Heritage Sites and a Gajaprihsta Vimana temple at Medavakkam and Pallikaranai" on 20^th October 2026.

 

This Eri sluice inscription/Eri thoombu kalvettu news was in social media and daily newspapers. The inscription stone was unearthed from a pond taken for deepening with JCB. Now the inscription stone is kept in “Kulakarai Vinayagar Temple”. 

 

The inscription belongs to Telugu Chozha Vijaya Kanda Gopalan’s 20^th reign year, 1268 CE. The place Modaipakkam has been corrupted into the present name of Medavakkam. As per the Archaeologist Rajavelu, this inscription records the installation of sluice / Thoombu by the Merchants of this place to regulate the flow of water, possibly for irrigation or for drinking.

The partial inscription in Tamil reads as….
01. ஸ்ரீ விசைய க
02. ண்ட கோபால
03. தேவர்க்கு யா
04. ண்டு 20 மோடை
05. பாக்கத்தில்
06. (ஏ)ரி தூம்பு இடு
07. வித்தான் இவூ
08. ரிலிருக்கும்
09. வாணிகரில்
10. ..ந்த தாமன்
11. ..ருக்கி..

This pond might have been a large eri during the 13^th century and might have been used for irrigation purposes. It is said by the locals that this pond water was used for drinking purposes, and the nearby hotels used to take water till recent years. The Google map given below shows that Vadukkupattu eri, Medavakkam lake,  and some ponds (presently a cricket ground) are close to this pond.

LOCATION OF THE TANK: CLICK HERE

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---