Copper-Plate Inscription, Thiruchendur

This is an eighteenth-century copper plate inscribed in Tamil.

It is a record dating back to 1760 CE that states the traders of villages, including Kottaru Aloorupettai, Sivakasi Virudhugupetti, and Sivathondu Maanadupettai, gave their monthly expenses for cotton, tobacco, and kaalchattai (trousers), as well as for the puja (worship ritual) of Maheshvara in the month of Avani (the fifth month of the traditional Tamil calendar) at the math (monastery) in Thiruchendur.

Tiruchendur, also known as Tiru Cheer Aalvai, is one of the sacred temples attributed to Lord Murugan. It is located adjacent to the shoreline of the Bay of Bengal. This copper plate is a well-preserved example of the practice of making legal records on a non-perishable metal. The top portion of the plate features the presiding deities of the temple, with Murugan at the centre and his consorts Valli and Devanai on either side. On the left is an image of Ganesha, and on the right is a peacock, which is the presiding deity’s vehicle.