The existence of this queen is scientifically confirmed and is known either from religious literature such as Periyapuranam, semi-biographical poems of the later Chola period as well as temple, copper plate and cave inscriptions.

Description

Villavan̤-Mahâdêviyâr was the daughter of the Kēraḷa prince Pal̤uvēṭṭaraiyar alias Maravan̤ Kaṇḍan̤ār.

One of the queens of Parântaka who bore him the son Arińjaya was a daughter of the Kêrala prince Paḷuvêṭṭaraiyar.

1

No. 110.—ON THE SOUTH WALL OF THE CENTRAL SHRINE IN THE MADHUVANESVARA TEMPLE AT TIRUKKALAVUR.2

This record which is dated in the 39th year of Parakêsarivarman (Parântaka I.) ‘who took M a d i r a i and Î l̤ a m’ registers a gift of land by a maid-servant of queen V i l l a v a n̤ – M a h â d ê v i y â r. The recipient of the gift is not mentioned but must be the Śiva temple of Tirumullainâtha at T i r u k k a ḷ â v û r, on whose wall the inscription is engraved.

Text.

1 𑌸𑌪𑌸𑌿𑌤 ஸ்ரீ [ǁ*] மதிரைகொண்ட கொப்பர-
2 கெசரிபன்ம[ர்*]க்கு யாண்டு——ம்இழமுகொ-
3 ண்ட3-—௩௰௯ ஆவது வடகரை4ப்பாம்பூ-
4 [ர்] நாட்டு தெவதானம் திருக்குடமுக்கில்பா-
5 [ல்] கருகா [வூாப்ப]ரடையொம் நம்பிராட்டியொர்5 வி[ல்ல]-
6 வன்மாதெவிய[ர]ர் பெண்டாட்டி6 நக்கன் விக்கிரமா[ப]ரணி
7 இவூக் கா[ணி]உடைய கொற்றங்குடாக8 வைய்குந்த-
8 ம்9 பாண்டனி[டை] விலைகொண்டு குளங் [க]ல்லின ப-
9 [ரழ்]முட்டி[கா]லு[ம்] இ[றை]குளமாக கல்லி இ நி[ லம் இவ் ]-
10 [வூ]ர் நடை இரண்டொன்றாய்10 விளை த்து No. 110 Letter 1 அரை11க்கால்

[…]

Translation.

Hail! Prosperity ! In the 39th year of (the reign of) king P a r a k ê s a r i v a r m a n, who took M a d i r a i (Madura) and Î l̤ a m (Ceylon), we, the members of the assembly (paraḍai) of K a r u g â v û r near (pâl) T i r u k k u ḍ a m û k k i l which was dêvadâna in V a ḍ a g a r i   P â m b û r – n â ḍ u (received) on quarter (of) Pâl̤muṭṭi (land) with a tank dug (in it) which N a k k a n̤   V i k r a m â b h a r a ṇ i, a palace maid-servant (peṇḍâṭṭi) of queen V i l l a v a n̤ – Ma h â d ê v i y â r, had purchased from V a i k u n d a n̤   P â ṇ ḍ a n̤   of   K o r̤ r̤ a ṅ g u d i, one of the landlords of this village.

[…]

2

Please note: The selected word Shri (ஸ்ரீ) cannot be displayed with the character set. In the original, it is displayed as follows: old word Shri

The number sequence ௩௰௯ (3 10 9) is to be read as 39.

Only the first letter is in brackets, a single representation is not possible.

Emphasis by me!

Informations

Preamble: no preamble of the Chola ruler available

Title: no ruler title available

Year of birth: no date available

Place of birth: no location available

Year of death: no date available

Place of death: no location available

Reign: no information about her reign

Seat of government: no location available

Predecessor: no name available

Successor: no name available

Father: Pal̤uvēṭṭaraiyar Nambi Mar̤avan̤ār also Pal̤uvēṭṭaraiyar Maravan̤ Kaṇḍan̤ār34

Mother: no information about her mother

Husbands: Parantaka Chola I. (Vira-Narayana)

Children: Arinjaya (also know as Arinchika, Arindigai or Arikulakesari or Arikesari or Arindama or Alvar Arikulakesarideva)56

Era: Chola period

Time period: Medieval Cholas

Pictures

no picture available

no picture available

  1. Archaeological Survey of India, SII. – Volume III – Part I, II, III and IV, 1929, p. 12 ↩
  2. Archaeological Survey of India, SII. – Volume III – Part III, 1920, pp. 244-245 ↩
  3. Archaeological Survey of India, SII. – Volume III – Part I, II, III and IV, 1929, p. 12 ↩
  4. Archaeological Survey of India, EI. – Volume XV, 1925, pp. 50-51 ↩
  5. Archaeological Survey of India, EI. – Volume XV, 1925, p. 51 ↩
  6. Sastri, K. A. Nilakanta, The Cōḷas, 1955, p. 152 ↩