Unamancheri,
a village, 450 years ago
A
picture from Stone and a Copper Plate Inscription.
The
Figure of a boar on a plain pedestal facing right, accompanied by a sword on
the side with the Sun and the Moon above.
This is
the emblem of the Vijayanagar Empire, as seen to this day, at the entrance of
the Kothanda Ramar temple at Unamancheri village, close to Kolappakkam on the
Vandalur-Kelambakkam Road.
It is a
clear depiction of the emblem, the Vijayanagar dynasty had adopted.
Armed
with the sword, until the Sun and the Moon existed, the Kings of Vijayanagar had sworn to defend this land from the
invaders with alien ideology just as
Varaha Swami rescued Bhudevi from the Asuras.
(Epigraphia Indica Vol 3)
Mr F Kielhorn of The Archaeological Survey of India had published in the year 1894 -95, a report on the Copper Plates of Five Leaves found in the possession of the Munsiff of the village of Unamanjeri. சேரி (Cheri) was the term used in olden days, to refer to a place where people lived.
The
inscription is that of the King Achyutendra Maharaya or Achyuta Raya who as the brother,
succeeding King Krishnadevaraya as the Emperor of Vijayanagar.
As done
during the ancient times in Bharat, all particulars
on the issue of the inscription had been meticulously detailed.
According
to the verses 39-53, the order of grant was issued by the King on the bank of
the river Tungabhadra in the presence of God Vitthaleswara on Dwadasi,
Suklapaksha of Sarvari Varusham, year 1462 of the era of Salivahana. It
corresponds to 12th October of 1540 CE.
The
Grant of the Village of Uhinai as it was then called, was made in the presence
of holy men.
The
location of the village has been described as follows:
Situated
in the
Senkazhuneerpattu
Seemai, (the ancient name of Chengalpattu)
Kumuzhi
Naadu, ( A place in the locality that continues to exist)
of
Irandaayiram Maaveli Parru,
of
Aamoor Kottam,
of
Jayamkonda Chola Mandalam.
To the
East of the Village Ayyancheri
To the
South of the Village Kolappakkam
To the
West of the Villages of Nallampakkam and Venpakkam
And to
the North of the village of Arunkaal.
It is
interesting to note that these villages have survived to this day as seen from
the google map.
The
Income from the village was shared in the following proportion
One
quarter to be set aside for God Raghunatha ( Konthanda Ramaswami Temple )
Fortunately,
this small temple and its beautiful Thirukkulam have been preserved by
dedicated devotees in its near original form.
One
quarter for Chandeeswara (Sivan Temple)
This
temple has survived too but has been renovated in a modern style.
Viranacharya,
son of Mallana has done the engraving on the copper plate and is signed in the
name of Sri Virupaksha, the kula deivam of the Kings of Vijayanagar. Facsimile
of the copper plate as given in the ASI Epigraphia Indica Vol 3.
This
village being transformed and absorbed as a suburb of the expanding Chennai
city, has an Eri ஏரி, numerous
Amman and Pillayar temples.
The lands under
cultivation are fast disappearing.
The beautiful Kothanda
Ramar, with Sita, his three brothers, and Anjaneyar all in the Sanctum, continues
to bless the place
Hoping the antiquity of
the place, sweetness of its water bodies and nature are preserved and the urbanization
shall be mindful.
Jai Sri Ram!
