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| Nayak period Meenakshi temple @ Koothiyarkundu village Photo: A. Shrikumar |
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| Sculpture of Ramappa Ayyan Photo: A. Shrikumar |
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| 'Periya Madai' inside Nilayur tank, Early Pandya period. Photo: A. Shrikumar |
The village of Koothiyarkundu contains two important parts of
history from two different eras, one that speaks of technology and
another that hails valour.
A short bumpy ride off the Thirumangalam highway leads
to Koothiyarkundu. Flanked by paddy fields and tamarind trees, the small
village looks still and silent on this sunny Sunday morning. A quaint
little Meenakshi temple stands in the centre. Ornate arches, pillars
with sculptures and the three mandapams inside indicate that the temple
belongs to the Nayak era. This is where, a lesser known chapter of
history is said to have been recorded in the sculptures.
Koothiyarkundu
has a heroic and a historic connection. That Thirumalai Nayak was an
efficient king is a famous fact but little is known about one of his
close aides Dhalavoi Ramappa Ayyan, who is supposedly a brave army
general-cum-minister. “The temple is built by Ramappa Ayyan and is one
of two places where the sculptures of both him and King Thirumalai Nayak
are found,” says Dr. Venkatraman, Retired History Professor. Ramappa
Ayyan’s valour and integrity is praised in the literary work ‘Ramappa Ayyan Ammanai’ in which it’s also mentioned that he belongs to the village ‘Chaturvedi Mangalam’.
