(Last Updated on : 28/11/2015)
The inscriptions engraved on the surface of the temple enhance the legendary significance of the Sri Pandava Perumal Temple. A few historic inscriptions are found etched on the walls of this temple, which provide information about the benefactions made to this shrine in the ancient days. The Inscriptions moreover help to determine the chronology of the temple. However as the historians have opined after a thorough research, that the earliest of these epigraphs found on the north wall of this temple is dated 1075 A.D. They have also said following the inscriptions that the temple belongs to the reign of the Chola ruler Kulottunga I (1071-1122 A.D.). The inscription engraved in the north wall depicts a story associated with the Sri Pandava Doota Perumal Temple. This inscription states that a merchant named Arulaladevan living in Kanchipuram provided the temple of Tiruppaadagam with a flower garden and purchased some land from the assembly of the village of Orirukkai (Orikkai near Kanchipuram) to support the gardeners and their families.
Apart from this some other inscriptions are also found. An inscription of the reign of the same ruler dated 1109 A.D. found on the south wall of this temple states the chronicle of an undertaking given by Dudakari Tiruvaranga-mani Bhattan and Ninra Narayana Bhattan. They were performing worship in the temple of Tiruppaadagam to supply daily a certain amount of curd for the offerings to the God in lieu of interest on the gift money received by them. The gift of two kalanju and two manjadi of gold were made by a merchant of Kanchipuram. It is possible that Dutakari, the name of the priest of this temple mentioned in this inscription could be Duta- Hari. The Duta Hari is also considered as Lord Krishna, who was the messenger of the Pandavas.
The third epigraph inscribed on the west wall of the central shrine of this temple is dated 1167 A.D and belongs to the time of Rajadhiraja Chola (1163/66-1179/82 A.D.). This inscription narrates the story of the gift of thirty-two cows for maintaining a perpetual lamp to the God of Tirupadagattazhvar by a person named Nirainindaan.
Interestingly, a Sanskrit epigraph of the Pallava age of the 8lh century A.D. found inscribed on the Sundaravarada Perumal temple at Uttiramerur near Chengalpattu Kanchipuram district. This inscription provides some information about the talented architect named Parameshvara who constructed this outstanding Vishnu temple. He is mentioned as an expert among architects who was acclaimed from Paataka or Paadagam in Kanchipuram. The historians also have pointed to the possibility of the fact that that this architect may have contributed to the Pandava Doota Perumal temple at Paadagam also.
The inscriptions engraved on the surface walls of the Sri Pandava Doota Perumal Temple provide it the magnificence of legendary greatness and also point to the antiquity of the Temple.