Undhi Pootha Perumal Thondi

An inscription dating back to 1329 CE has been found here at Undhi Pootha Perumal Thondi recently in the Garuda shrine which mentions the Lord’s name as Puravuvari Vinnagara Perumal. This corresponds to the period of King Parakrama Pandya (regnal years 1315 to 1333 CE). The first and last lines of the 35 lines of inscriptions have been damaged. It mentions the land donation by one Thiruvarangarayan of Malainadu (Kerala) to the temple in a village called Sathi Eri. The name of the same village is mentioned in an inscription in the Thiruvadanai temple along with another village called Kadambakudi. Today there is no village called Sathi Eri and it is presumed that it could have faded away or been destroyed. It is also thought that the village could have existed near Kadambakudi. In the inscription in Undhi Pootha Perumal Thondi temple, the borders of the donated land and the land measures used are also mentioned. The temple is mentioned as Thirumerkovil and the main deity as Puravuvari Vinnagara Perumal. Puravuvari is a land tax system of the olden days and it is interesting to see the deity named so. A temple with a similar named main deity exists in Kallikudi in Madurai District. The name of the main deity has been changed to its present name sometime later.