A stone inscription found at a Shiva temple in Bellathi, which is over 700 years old, mentions the name of the village as ‘Vellathi’ instead of ‘Bellathi’. It implies the Kannada impact on the Tamil word after the settlement of the Karnataka-based Vokkaligas in Karamadai and Mettupalayam.
A hero stone, which depicts a warrior stabbing a tiger, is commonly found in many parts of the Kongu region, and the memorial is called ‘Pulikuththi Kal’. It would be erected to honor the death of a man in his fight with the tiger to protect his cattle from it. However, it is strange to come across another hero stone depicting a warrior stabbing a wild boar, and the memorial is called ‘Pandrikuththipattaan Kal’
The hero stone is found on the campus of Dharmaraja Draupadi Temple in Bellathi, a village near Karamadai.
“During the temple renovation work, many such historical monuments were negligently thrown out and even let in the flood of river Bhavani, Of them, I have restored the ‘ Pandrikuththipattaan Kal’ and a statue of Hanuman, “ says ‘Thamizh Maravaan’ Ramesh, a history enthusiast and native of Bellathi.
It is quite rare to come across a hero stone depicting a warrior stabbing a wild boar. The tusked wild pig is as strong as an elephant and it damages crops on agricultural lands. Therefore, the hero stone must have been erected in memory of a man, who fought with the wild boar to protect the crops.
“The statue of Hanuman found at the temple resembles the ones installed by Vyasaraja, the Rajaguru of Emperor Krishnadevaraya. The Hanuman idol depicts the posture of monkey God with one hand lifted above and the other holding the Saugandhika flower” the late epigraphist D.Sundaram researched the statue.
Another shrine called ‘Vathapillayar Koyil’ is at Kottaipalayam on the way to Bellathi. But what is surprising is that the temple has no idol of ‘Pillayar’ but an engraved block of stone resembling a linga!
Interestingly the temple is known for providing miraculous cures for certain diseases. The people of the locality believe that the disease on a specific part of the body is cured, if it (a specific part of the body) is placed on the stone” informs Dhandapani, who is in charge of the shrine.
Sri Ranga Ranganayaki, who brought her little granddaughter Sri Varshini to the temple for one such cure, says:
“The child was born with a congenital deformity. However, the medical staff in the hospital said that the baby was flawless. We still take her to treatment and the doctors say that she would be all right in course of time. However, she does not speak or walk despite her growth.” Worries Ranganayagi.
A stone inscription found at a Shiva temple in Bellathi, which is over 700 years old, mentions the name of the village as ‘Vellathi’ instead of ‘Bellathi’. It implies the Kannada impact on the Tamil word after the settlement of the Karnataka-based Vokkaligas in Karamadai and Mettupalayam.