The Heritage

The Chera or Konga country is one of the 56 geophysical divisions called desams of Greater India or Bharatavarsham. It is the first and foremost of the five desams – Chera, Chola, Pandya, Tondai and Nadu. The frontiers of the region correspond to the western and eastern ghats to the west and east. This area almost totally falls under the lower Kaveri catchment basin where the rivers Bhavani, Kanchi (Noyyal), Anporunai (Amaravathi), Thirumanimutharu, Sarabanga and Karaipottanar debouch into the great river.

The borders include:

North – The Nilgiris, Talamalais, Biligiri Rangans, Kaveri, Malai Mahadeswaran Hills, Perumbalai – Toppur Ghat and Shevaroys
East – Shevaroys, Koodumalai, Kolli Hills, Talaimalai, Karaipottanar embankment – Madukkarai Wall
West – Attapadis, Vellingiris, the river Walayar, Kambalathurai Aliyar and the Anamalais
South – Anamalais, Palani Hills, Ambathurai and Sirumalai

The ministers of the Chera king presided over 24 subdivisions or Naadus with Kaangaya Naadu being one among them. The Pattagar ministers preserved and nurtured royal strains of cattle which tremendously aided in the building of our most ancient yet miracle of our sustainable nation. The Sarkarai Mandradiars of Palayakottai who were conferred the title of Uthamakamida were involved in selective breeding of the cattle of Kaangaya Naadu right from the time of the last Pandya kings.

The Pattagar enjoyed jurisdiction over Palayakottai (Nathakadayur), Muthur, Valliyarachal and the Senthodai half of Pappini villages, four and half panchayats in total.

A modern map of Chera Kongadesam – the number three province being Kangaya Nadu:

A modern map of the Kangayam Nadu superimposed on then modern Kangayam taluk:

Kangayam Nadu and the Palayakottai Samasthanam

Oorthokai of Kangayam Nadu:

After the collapse of the Pandyas after the Malik Kafur interregnum , the Pattagars joined the Vijayanagara Dore’s confederacy against Turkish invaders through the Madurai Nayakkars. After the defeat and reduction of the confederacy, they opted for the security of the the Mysore Wodeyar Doregalu. The Pattagars, loyal to the Doregalu, remained faithful to the throne through the Haidar Ali -Tippu Sultan chaos. In 1799, the British East India Company held the Coimbatore district after the young monarch ceded it and Salem, the whole of Kongadesam.

The spiritual guides:

The Sankaracharya of Sringeri founded by Adi Shankaracharya is the Acharya of Palayakottai as they belong to the Smartha faith:

The Deeksha Guru who bestows the Pattabhishekam for the Pattagar belongs to the Nathakadayur Chidambareswara Swami Matam founded by a Chidambaram Deekshithar:

The Moksha Guru or Kula Guru of the Pattagar belongs to Marudurai Gurukkalpalayam Alalasundara Pandithar Matam founded by Sundaramurthi Nayanar, one of the 63 Saivite saints:

The antique copy of the ancient Copperplate manuscript awarded by the Pandyans to the Pattagars in Oriental Manuscript Library, Chennai:

Palayakottai Pattagar History (Palmleaf Manuscript):

http://eap.bl.uk/database/overview_item.a4d?catId=178445;r=26962

Book: பழையகோட்டை மரபு (புலவர் ராசு) in pdf:

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His Highness Maharaja Sri Sir. Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar Bahadur, Maharaja of Mysore, GCB, GCSI and head of the Amrit Mahal Breeding station, Mysore (18 July 1919 – 23 September 1974) during his royal visit along with the erstwhile Pattagar N.S.S.Mandradiar and President-to-be R. Venkatraman.

OI0A3532-e1446824093908 OI0A3535

The Kongu Mandala Sathakam verses detail on how Anoor Sarkkarai got his title from the Pandya for defeating Uthama Chola, who tried to invade Kongadesam. It also details other exploits of the clan. The verses in Tamil:

ஆணூர்ச்சர்க்கரை பாண்டியனால் பட்டம்பெற்றது

ஆணூர் புரக்கவும் விக்கிரமன் கோட்டை யழிக்கச் சொட்டை

வீணூர் புரக்கவும் உத்தம சோழனை வென்றனென்று

தாணூர் புரக்கின்ற சர்க்கரை பாண்டியன் றந்தபட்டம்

வாணோர் புரக்கக் கலிதடுத் தான்கொங்கு மண்டலமே.

கரியான் சர்க்கரை வெண்ணை மலையில் வீரர் குறும்படக்கியது

கரியான்சொற் சர்க்கரை பெற்றது முத்தமக் காமிண்டன்றான்

குரியான சொட்டையில் வீரரை வென்று குறும்படக்கிச்

சரியாய் நிறுத்திடும் வெண்ணைநன் மாமலைச் சார்பினிற்றான்

வரிவாழை சூழ்ந்தனை வோர்களும் வாழ்கொங்கு மண்டலமே.

சர்க்கரை உத்தமச்சோழனை வென்று மதிற்கரை காத்தது

நதிக்கொளுங் கொல்லியி ரசவாத கங்கையி னாகபடம்

ஒதுக்கிய பாசையி லுத்தமக் காமனை யொன்னலரை

அதக்கிய வேல்சொட்டை யாணூர்ப் பவுதையு மன்னக்கொடி

மதுக்கரை சூழ்ந்தனை வோர்களும் வாழ்கொங்கு மண்டலமே.

சர்க்கரை விசயநகர்ச் சர்க்கரை யெனப் பெயர் பெற்றது

விக்கிரமன் கோட்டை யழித்திடும் கொற்ற விசயநகர்ச்

சர்க்கரை யென்றவன் வந்துதித் தான்றரு காரைநகர்

கைக்கரச் கொட்டையில் வீரர் கதறக் கதறக்குத்தி

வைக்கவுஞ் சர்க்கரை யுத்தமக் கோன்கொங்கு மண்டலமே.

The lineage:

Sri Rao Bahadur Nallathambi Sarkarai Uthamakaminda Mandradiar (Star of India recipient) sustained and took the Kangeyam breed to international limelight by the end of the colonial era. The visitors book entries at Palayakottai farm pay glowing tributes to his efforts at selective breeding of Kangeyam cattle.

Sri Nallasenapathy Sarkkarai Mandradiar, former M.L.A had keen interest on breeding and took the breed to international fame. It was during this period that Kangayam went overseas to Ceylon, Malaysia, Brazil and other tropical countries for its economical nature.

Sri Rajkumar Mandradiar, the current heir along with Srimati Jayashree Mandradiar shows keen interest in continuing the legacy of cattle up-gradation and conservation. During the last three Pattagars, the Hosur Livestock Farm, an ex situ centre for breeding programmes is being supplied with stud bulls and corpus.

The Pattagars inspect the cattle sitting in this mandapam, their de facto office:

The Kalai Sami or Bull God, which were dedicated to the Anoor Amman and are worshipped in their burial mound:

The open well or Vavi (Sanskrit: Vapi) where cattle climb down and drink water on their own and even take a dip!: admin-ajax

Another vaavi kinaru (open well with slope)