CHENNAI, INDIA, June 14, 2011 (Times of India): Epigraphists have recently unearthed a stack of engraved copper plates which show that emperor Rajadhiraja Chola I ensured that his successor and younger brother Rajadhiraja Chola II made donations he had pledged. “The famous king was a man who kept his word,” said R. Sivanandan, chief epigraphist, state archaeological department, who was part of the team that deciphered the engravings on 85 copper plates. “He died in 1054CE in a battle against the Western Chalukas. His brother Rajadhiraja Chola II, won the war and not only made the donations in 1061 CE but also added 40 more villages,” he said.
The 85 copper plates were unearthed in May 2010 by workers of the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments department at Kazhukani Muttam in Thiruenthalur village in Nagapattinam, 190 miles south of Chennai. The workers were digging a 20-ft deep trench in front of the 900-year-old Kailashnatha temple.
“It is a rare find. Such a large number of copper plates have not been found at a single location anywhere else in the country. We have decoded entire inscriptions and will publish them shortly,” said Sivanandan. The plates had inscriptions in Sanskrit and Tamil.
The workers also discovered a dozen bronze statues, including figurines of Lord Ganesha and Tamil scholars and saints like Appar, Manickavasagar, Thirugnanasamandar and Karaikal Ammaiyar.