Something curious about Ponmar

 

Ponmar is seeing fast growth in recent years.

So fast that people pay little heed to the blue ASI boards marking its numerous megalithic Cairn Circles.

The Sakthipureeswarar Temple has two inscriptions recorded from the Vijayanagar Era – Sadasivarayar

ARIE No 17/ 1934-35

Jayamkonda Cholamandalathu Puliyur Kottathu Kaalvaai Naattu Thyagavinodha Nallooraana Ponmaaru- the village of Poyilicheri given as donation for the worship of Poyileeswaramudaiya Naayanar and Veerabhdhra Naayanaar

The neighbouring village is called Polacheri. That Hoysolas had once ruled over a good part of Thondai Mandalam makes one curious about this name!

ARIE No 18 / 1934-35 dated 16-17^th century.

Records that Amanerikkulam near the temple was desilted by Maambakkam Chinnaa Chetty's son Vedagiri

Sakthipureeswarar Temple has recently seen renovations. Some old stone and broken pieces seen around the temple a few years ago are no longer seen.

Siddhar Temple

A smaller shrine at the northern side of the temple outside its recently constructed boundary wall is generally known as the Siddhar Temple.

As late as 2013, it was a pile of stones with a huge tree encompassing the structure. The Shivalingam and the small sannidhi were not quite approachable.

It has since been renovated and is said to be the Jeevasamadhi of a Siddhar.  The sight of the big beautiful Kulam filled with Lotus flowers is a blessing.

ThyagaVinodha Perumal Temple.

The Perumal Temple that was in a sadly dilapidated state a decade ago has seen enthusiastic renovation and has been consecrated as ThyagaVinodha Perumal Temple in 2023.

Incidentally, according to some scholars,  ThyagaVinodhan was a title held by Kulothunga Chola III.

The Chola connect to Ponmar is found in the Thiruvottriyur Temple !!

An inscription at the North wall of the Adhipuriswarar Sannidhi, Thiruvottriyur Temple has an interesting reference to Ponmar.

ARIE No 125 / 1912 is an unfinished inscription. It shares the following information:

It refers to a certain Pugalvaanaiyan of Karuvili / Kuruvili in Milalai-Kurram in Pandi Nadu, who received from the King, while the king was encamped at that place, the Chieftainship of Ponmaru in Kalavay Nadu, a sub – division of Puliyur Kottam in Jayankonda Chola Mandalam , a division of Tondai – Mandalam.

The King while being encamped in the Pandya country, had called one of the chiefs named Kuruvili Pugalvaanayan and ordered him to accept the chieftainship of Ponmaaru in Tondaimandalam. 

He accepted the offer and coming to Ponmaaru found in the village a few traitors to the king ( Rajadrohins). As the record is unfinished, we are not in a position to find what was done to these traitors.

One of the reasons for sending a native of the Pandya Country to rule over a village of the Tondai, was evidently the disturbance caused by the traitors whom the new Chief must have eventually expelled from the village.

Ponmaaru must have been a village of certain importance in the times of the Chola King Kulothunga III to warrant his attention and subsequent action.

Inscription ( ARIE No 52/1932-33)  at Thirukkacchur mentions the  Existence of Thyavinodha ThiruMadam in the temple of Thirukkachchur. It Records gift of money made by one Pushpagiri Maanikka Kuttan of the Thyagavinodha Tirumadam situated in the Thirumadaivilagam of the temple for 3 lamps in the temple.

The British East India Company Survey of 1767-1774, lists houses of every பண்டாரம் and திருமடம் at திருப்போரூர்.

 In the list is the house of Ponmaru Chinniyar Pandaram - பொன்மாறு சின்னியர் பண்டாரம் வீடு.

Perahps a functioning திருமடம் had existed in Thirupporur even in the 1770s.