Inscriptions in a temple submerged by Bhavanisagar dam reveal a trade route Premium

Discover the submerged Sri Madhava Perumal Temple in Erode district, revealing a 1,000-year-old trade route and historical inscriptions.

A major trade route connecting the Kongu region in western Tamil Nadu with southern Karnataka and Kerala had existed over a 1,000 years ago, according to the inscriptions found at the Sri Madhava Perumal Temple. This temple has largely remained submerged in the water spread area of the Bhavanisagar dam in Erode district.

The temple, in a dilapidated state, is currently visible following the depletion of water level in the dam to less than 46 feet, as against the full reservoir level of 105 feet. A team from Yaakkai Heritage Trust, which is into research, documentation and creation of awareness of heritage, recently studied inscriptions in and around the temple.

According to Kumaravel Ramasamy, a member of the trust, 10 to 15 inscriptions, each dating back to various periods, were found. They revealed a village, named Thuravalur, which existed there over 1,000 years ago with a temple for Thondreeshwaramudiayar (Lord Shiva). The area served as peruvali (a trunk road), and traders crossed River Bhavani and River Moyar to reach Wayanad in Kerala and various places in Karnataka. Inscriptions with the names of many traders reveal they were dealing in oil, clothes, cattle, and handicrafts, and they could have travelled on foot and used donkeys or horses for transport, he adds.

The area came under the Hoysala rulers. King Veera Ballala III (1292-1342), the last great king of the Hoysala Empire, ruled the area. The king asked Madhava Perumal Dhandanayaka, who was the general of the army, to rule the region. Then, he constructed the Dhandanayaka Fort along the river at a strategic point. Over a period of time, the name of the fort became Danaikan Fort. “The fort, constructed 680 years ago, was completely destroyed,” says Mr. Kumaravel. “Only the damaged temple is visible now and not the destroyed fort,” he clarifies.

Madhava Perumal Dhandanayaka’s son Veera Siddha Keththaya Dhandanayaka constructed the Sri Madhava Perumal Temple inside the fort. An inscription found on a stone describes it as “Nilagiri Sadaranan Kottai”, and villages along the fort were called “Oduvanganadu”. While the pillars of the temple were intact, a portion of the roof and the outer wall collapsed as the temple had once remained submerged for 68 years. The damaged pillars with inscriptions and carvings can be seen scattered around the temple.

Historians believe that the fort could have been constructed in 1338 when Madhava Perumal Dhandanayaka was ruling The Nilgiris and Wayanad. They say many temples, constructed during various periods, still remain submerged and will be visible if the water level drops further.

The area was later ruled by the Vijayanagara Empire, Ummattur chiefs and Tipu Sultan. The Battle of Sathyamangalam, fought between September 13 and 15, 1790, during the Third Anglo-Mysore War from 1790 to 1792, also took place near the fort, which Tipu Sultan guarded. Later, the British brought the area under their control and the Nilgiris, which was part of the Mysore Province, was merged with the Madras Province.