A private deemed university, which
is functioning close to the Ettimadai forest, in case, extends its
campus further, Tamils are sure to lose a historical treasure - a
1100 year old inscription on a rock inside the deep forest. A venba
( A four-lined traditional
verse) inscribed on the rectangular slab of rock, is in praise of
the king Aditya Chola I, who relaid an ancient highway that ran
through Coimbatore for several centuries even before the Christian
era. Interestingly, the inscription, which is alongside the disused
ancient highway, mentions the road's name as 'Rajakesari Peruvazhi',
carrying the monarch's title ' Rajakesari' (Lion of kings).
Though
the inscription has withstood the test of time, braving heat and rain
for these many centuries, protecting the monument is the need of the
hour, for it is already in peril.
This
correspondent, who failed for two times earlier in tracing the
inscription due to the dangers of wild animals, was successful
exactly at 4.25 PM on April 1 - ironically on the day of fools !
“ We
could never have imagined to catch a glimpse of the inscription, had
Anbarasu, Ramasamy and Guruvayurappan, the natives of Ettimadai, not
taken us into the woods “ averred D.Sundaram, an epigraphist.
As
the mountain path is blocked by numerous thorny bushes, Ramasamy, who
leads the team, cuts through the undergrowth with his sickle. And one
could be amazed at the rural man's knowledge of native geography, as
he rediscovers the inscription after an interval of 25 years.
“ I
last saw the inscription in 1991. However, as boys, my friend
Anbarasu and I used to graze goats near it. At that time, we had
little chance to realise its historical value“ says Ramasamy,
Pointing
at a herd of Sambar deer walking on an adjacent hill, Anbarasu
informs:
“ A
day in summer is the suitable time to trace the inscription inside
this forest, since animals are easily visible in the absence of
green “
Anbarasu
now stumbles upon a fallen antler near a sandalwood tree:
“ You
know the antlers of the Sambar deer falls off once they have ossified
” he informs.
Pointing
at a tree, whose bark is peeled off, Anbarasu explains it in his
typical Kongu Tamil dialect:
“ Maanu, Kombu Theeteerukkuthu
Paarunga ( Just look at the
tree, against which a deer has rubbed its antler) ”
Anbarasu used to read books while
grazing goats near the disused highway. But, it was a coincidence
that he discovered the highway’s name as ‘Rajakesari Peruvazhi’
while reading an article in a magazine at the same Rajakesari
Peruvazhi!
திருநிழலும் மன்னுயிரும் சிறந்தமைப்ப
ஒருநிழல் வெண்டிங்கள் மேலோங்கி - பெருநிழல்போல்
வாழிய கோச்சோழன் வளங்காவிரி நாடன்
கோழியர் கோக்கண்டன் குலவு'
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