Copper-Plate Inscription, Thiruchendur

18th century

This is an eighteenth-century copper plate inscribed in Tamil.

It is a record dating back to 1760 CE that states the traders of villages, including Kottaru Aloorupettai, Sivakasi Virudhugupetti, and Sivathondu Maanadupettai, gave their monthly expenses for cotton, tobacco, and kaalchattai (trousers), as well as for the puja (worship ritual) of Maheshvara in the month of Avani (the fifth month of the traditional Tamil calendar) at the math (monastery) in Thiruchendur.

Tiruchendur, also known as Tiru Cheer Aalvai, is a temple dedicated to Lord Murugan on the shoreline of the Bay of Bengal in Tamil Nadu. This copper plate is a well-preserved example of the practice of making legal records on a non-perishable metal. The top portion of the plate features the presiding deities of the temple, with Murugan at the centre and his consorts Valli and Devanai on either side. On the left is an image of Ganesha, and on the right is a peacock, which is the presiding deity’s vehicle.

Title
Copper-Plate Inscription, Thiruchendur
Period
18th century
Medium
Copper Sheet
Dimensions
H: 36.6 cm x W: 19.8 cm
Accession No.
2022.26.1