Temple as Consumer

The temple was also a consumer. Coconut, sandal, rice, turmeric, incense, leaves, flowers lights, ghee, oil, pulses, sugar, plantain, curd, salt, pepper, areca nut, and betel nut were generally used.^[1] Panneer (rose water), camphor, kasturi, kumkum were in demand everywhere.

Women were placed under restraint in their social life and activities, though modesty was considered the highest among their graces. The inscriptions give many examples of women of the upper classes owning property in their own right and disposing of it as they chose.

Names of the individuals very often gave little indication of their social status. Chilambamoovi, queen of Virarajendran donated paddy and rice to a temple in Tiruchirappalli. Araiyanvalli, maid of queen Vanavan Mukkoor Kilanadi, wife of Virarajendran, donated gold coins for the lighting of lamps in the temple of Uraiyur and Queen Mallikesi of dran donated gold coins for lighting at a temple near Tiruchirappalli.

Devadasi, Umaiyalarmai and Iravukanni donated gold coins for the sandhya deepam light) in the temple of Virappur. Gowri, wife of Malan (merchant) also did the same at Karkudi Thirumalai temple.^[2]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Appadorai, A., Economic Conditions in Southern India (1000-1500 A.D.), Vol.I, Madras, 1982, pp 286-287.

[2]:

Sridhar, T.S., Coimbatore Mavatta Kalvettukkal, Vol.I, Madras, 2006, p.94.