Munnur temple as Court of Justice

Usually temples served as the venue of the court of justice. During there are several references making mention that the Sangam age, manrams^[1] act as the court of justice. However, in the medieval period under this study, it is clear that the importance had shifted from the manram to the temples, because life had become 'temple centered'. The temple was the sanctified place and the conscience keeper of the public faiths. They had never dared enough to speak untruth or do an evil deed in the temple precincts for fear of Almighty and heavenly punishment. Therefore in order to settle many of their problems they gather. As a result several in the temple precincts cases were held in the Mandapas of the temples to settle their issues.^[2]

Some of the methods adopted to settle disputes and to detect crimes were also learned. The padikkaval was an active organisation with on occupational group for the regularization and protection of its wealth and social interests of the people. The Tamil society during the medieval period was conceived as a loose federation of strong self-regulating groups. It shared a common background of social rights and issues which made for mutual understanding and accommodation.

Thus, the above mentioned analysis it is infer that this temple is a court of justice to protect the temple properties and the subjects from vandalism and personal harm. This instance reveals that the temple was the seat of justice, where cases within jurisdiction were heard and disposed of. For instance a record^[3] of Rajaraja II issued in his 7^th regnal year (A.D.1156) mentions a land donation by one Mekamap Pallavarayan for his son-in law Setherayan for his KaipizhaiBhattan^[4] a penalty for his unknown crime a miss-appropriation of his award caused a death of a person was treated an sin. It reveals that in order to relieve from the sin certain amount of land donation was given for burning a perpetual lamp to the Presiding deity of the temple.