Tamil Nadu : The South Indian History and Culture Research Centre has discovered central stones erected to honour the sacrifice of warriors in Aavu village near Ponneri.
Alumni of the History Department at Ulaganatha Narayanasamy Government Arts and Science College in Ponneri in Tiruvallur district have formed an organisation called South Indian History and Culture Research Centre and are conducting research on ancient historical monuments.
Assistant Professor Jagjeevan Ram of Ponneri Government College is the chief advisor of the centre. Meanwhile, information was received that there are central stones near the Ponniamman temple in Aavu village and there are scratch marks on them. Following this, a team of professors and students of the government college was called to the international research centre to look at the central stones.
Earlier, Dr Sasikala, coordinator of the State Trace Group of the Chennai Archaeological Department and others had conducted a study on nadakals. At that time, the practice of erecting nadakals for those killed in war was established. In ancient Tamil Nadu, there was a tradition of worshipping martyred warriors as gods. Nadkals are erected and worshipped in their memory. There are several types of Nadkals such as Veerakkal, Sattikakal, Pattavankal, Pulikuthikkal, Navakantakkal, Arikantakkal and Ayudhakal. It seems that the Nadkals in Aavur were placed in the memory of the warriors to honour their sacrifice.
Such centre stones are found in the Chengam area of Tiruvannamalai. Archaeologists have found that they are of ancient times and date back to the 17th century. The Thiruppalaivanam inscription states that the Chola army, after battles and victories in North India, halted at Kolur village in Ponneri and came to the Shubh Chaturvedi temple in Medhukur via Illuppakkam, Edakuppam and Aavur. Experts involved in historical research say that these centre stones must have been placed by the Chola emperors at that time.
