The Pandyan Kingdom from the Earliest Times to the Sixteenth Century c19.56

c19.56

The village granted was called Vikrama-Pāṇḍya-Caturvēdimangalam evidently after the name of an unknown brother or father (nāyaṉār) of Sundara-Pāṇḍya. In the centre of it was also established the temple of Vikrama Pāṇḍyēśvara similarly designated. The village was intended to accommodate primarily 108 Brahmins among whom were many well-versed in Vedas and Śastras and able to expound the same. Four vēlis of the land were purchased for the village site and included within it the temple premises, the house sites of the 108 Brahmins mentioned above, of men who were in charge of the village library (Sarasvati-bhaṇḍarattār) and of other village servants (Paṇimakkal). In purchasing the land with its trees, wells, paths, channels (?), embankments indicating land divisions (bhāgāśraya) and all other benefits, the rights and privileges of the old tenants and title-holders were completely bought up. The right of way was secured for the Brahmins to walk to the tank Kāvaṟkuḷam every day for the purpose of performing the sandhyāvandana prayers. Land for grazing the cattle was also provided for. Also for the maintenance of the 108 Brahmin families and others, were acquired 117¾ *vēlis* of land in the village of Rājaśikhāmaṇinallūr *alias* Puḷiyanguḍi. The Brahmins evidently received each a full *vēli* of land. The following other *vṛittis* were also settled:—teachers of Vedas, 3; teachers of Sūtras, 1; two doctors, 1¾; ambaḍayas (?), ½; village accountant, ½; drummer, ¼; potter, ¼; blacksmith, ¼; carpenter, ½; goldsmith, ¼; īrankolli, 3/8; barber, 3/8; washerman, ¼; village watchman (*pāḍi-kāppāṉ*) ¾, and the village-servant (*Veṭṭiyāṉ*) 1/8. On the *naṭṭa* land outside the *agrahāra* ‘Brahmin quarter’, three parts were set apart for Veḷḷāṉ-kāṇiyāḷar and the remainder for other professionals (?). The fruit trees, gardens, ponds, waterpits, grazing grounds, irrigation channels, uncultivable waste, embankments (?) of fields and pathways, included in the village site were made over (to the donees) as per customary law. All taxes were excused, but it was stipulated that from the fourteenth year of the king 500 *kalam* of superior paddy, was to be measured out every year to the temple at Chidambaram for conducting the special service, Ellāndalaiyāna-Perumāḷ-Śandi, and that all lands which belonged to temples (*tirunāmattu-kkāṇi*) must be demarcated by stones marked with the trident.¹