Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c20.s8.t3.1

c20.s8.t3.1

The two stelae inscriptions, one each from Arasalapuram¹ (Viluppuram Taluk and District) and Indalur² (Cheyyur Taluk, Kancheepuram District) are remarkably similar, though the former dates from the 5th century and the latter from the 6th century A.D. judging from palaeographic evidence. They are memorial stones erected by the villagers to honour the fighting cocks which presumably died fighting. The figure of a fighting cock with a brief accompanying inscription in Early Vaṭṭeḻuttu is carved on each of the stelae. The inscriptions corroborate literary references to the sport of cockfight popular in the Tamil countryside.³ These unique memorial stones for fighting cocks are earlier than the numerous herostones in Dharmapuri District and Chengam Taluk in the western region erected to honour the heroes who fell in battle or while fighting cattle rustlers or wild animals.⁴