A peek into the past: A team from Yaakkai Heritage Trust recently studied inscriptions in and around the dilapidated Madhava Perumal Temple, which is now visible as the water level in the dam has dipped. | Photo Credit: M. GOVARTHAN
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.
A village discovered
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.
Under Hoysala rule
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.
Idols shifted to new temples
The construction of the Bhavanisagar dam, the first major irrigation project in Tamil Nadu after Independence, began in 1948 and was completed in 1955. People who were living near the fort and the temple were relocated outside the water spread area and settled in the villages of Vadavalli, Pudhubeerkadavu and a few other villages in Bannari. The idols in the temple were shifted to new temples in 1953.
Velusamy, 75, a fisherman of Kanrayanmokkai, a habitation along the water spread area of the dam, says the temple was last visible in 2018. He says that only the Madhava Perumal Temple is visible after six years now, while two other temples, the cannon base, and the fort walls will come out if the water level drops further. Mr. Velusamy, who has been riding coracle since the age of 17, says the dam turned completely dry only once in his lifetime, and the temple stands strong, braving all calamities in all these years.
Excavations sought
Mr. Kumaravel says temples were constructed on the river beds and villages flourished for over 1,000 years in the area because of the easy terrain. “Temples were constructed even before 1,200 years in the area,” he says, demanding excavations to bring out more facts. Enthusiasts believe that more stones with inscriptions may remain submerged in the water spread area.
With people in large numbers visiting the temple in coracles, the Bhavanisagar Dam Division of the Water Resources Department has placed banners in villages around the dam prohibiting entry of visitors to the temple. Since the dam is a protected area and given the drop in the inflow, coracle operators have been directed not to transport people to the temple area.
