Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c20.s8.t4: 1.8.4 A unique inscribed object: the Erettimalai Stone
Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c20.s8.t4
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1.8.4 A unique inscribed object: the Erettimalai Stone
c20.s8.t4.1
Erettimalai is a small village near Anthiyur in Bhavani Taluk, Erode District, situated in a forest area near the border with Karnataka. A shoe-shaped smooth granite object (approximately 25 x 16 x 15 cm.) was found in a field in the village.⁵ An Early Vaṭṭeḻuttu inscription in characters of ca. 5th century A.D. is inscribed in two lines on the object (Fig. 1.17). The size and shape of the object indicate that it was used as a stone stopper to plug the vent of a sluice. A similar stone stopper, more recent and without inscription, is in the collections of the Department of Epigraphy, Tamil University, Thanjavur. The Erettimalai Stone is now preserved in the office of the TNSA at Chennai where I had the opportunity to examine it closely and copy the inscription on it. The inscription describes the object as a stone (stopper) fitted inside the vent of a sluice.⁶
c20.s8.t4.2
⁵ Discovered by A. Palaniyappan, a school teacher, and published in Natana Kasinathan 1985: pp. 16-19 (with Pl.) and 1988: pp. 116-118.
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⁶ No. *114*. See also Fig. 8.49C (tracing) and Pl. 48 (estampage).