An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v2.c30.420

v2.c30.420

In 1969-70 the writer excavated here on behalf of the ASI, the investigation being spread out in the present-day localities of Tirukkulasekharapuram, Kilattali, Tiruvanjikulam Karuppadana and Madilakam (*IAR 1969-70*, p. 14). Of these the first three are closely situated suburbs of Kodungallur, while the last two are about 7 to 8 km away but on the ford of the same river slightly upstream and have been consistently referred to in early Tamil and Kerala literature as the place of the early Cēra capital. The literary nexus which strengthens this was that Iḷaṅgo, the princely author of the Tamil classic *Śilappadikāram*, was an early Cēra prince, the brother of the ruling king Śeṅguṭṭuvan contemporary with the Roman period and king Gajabāhu of Sri Lanka, that he resided at Madilakam and further that Karuppadana was taken to be the same as Karur or Karur-Vañji, the first Cēra capital, freely mentioned in the Tamil Saṅgam classics. Excavations revealed a surprising coevality for all these locations. The cultural material, viz. pottery, coins, tiles, laterite walls, etc., were all of the 9th-11th century deposit of about 1 to 1½ m thickness, yielding a sturdy red ware, Chinese Celadon Ware [11.25] and Cōḷa coins clearly dating their range of time. Kilattali and Tirukkulasekharapuram are centres of two famous temples of the same name, clearly ascribed by epigraphical, architectural and sculptural evidence to the 10th century. Thus all evidence definitely points to the place as more likely to be the seat of the second Cēra empire, viz. Mahodai. The remains of the Roman mart of the first Cēra period are still elusive. Several bone sections also laid in the area on either side of the river bank between Kodungallur and the sea face yielded no specific evidence of any nature earlier than the 9th century.