Vijayanagar Period

Next King to be represented in this temple epigraph is Saluva Narasingaraya Udaiyar, a regent of Vijayanagar. The Vijayangara rulers played a significant role in the History of Tamil Country to recover South India from the Muslim rule. Vijayanagar Empire was established by Harihara I and Bukka I in A.D. 1336 on the south bank of the river Tungabhadra on the advice of Madhava Vijayaranga of the Sringerimutt.^[1] By the expedition of Kumarakampana, the second son of Bukka I, the Tamil Country came under the control of Vijajaynagar empire in the course of the 14^th Century A.D.^[2]

Vijayanagar empire was ruled by the rulers of Sangama, Saluva, Tuluva and Aravidu dynasties. The inscription of Vijayanagar ruler Saluva Narasingaraja udaiyar is found in the Adavalleswara temple at Munnjur. This inscription clearly shows the patronage of the Vijayanagara rules to promote the temple. A perusal of this inscription reveals the fact that the village Munnjur was under the sovereignty of the Vijayanagar empire for some years.

For instance a inscription^[3] of Vijayanagar regent Saluva Narasingaraya Udaiyar issued in the Saka era 1388 (A.D.1466) on the 9^th day of Markazhi^[4] month in the Sri Viya year is found on the north side wall of the cella of the Adavalleswarar temple. Further the record registers a gift of land for the celebration of the Annual festivals in the month of Chittirai and Thai Pusam^[5] for the maintenance of flower garden Nandavanam for flower offerings to the Presiding deity. The record also states that the administrative official’s viz. Thammarasar, Anmarasar and Aravasaram^[6] were existed during the Vijayanagar rule.