Ongoing restoration work at a remote Shiva temple in the Kongu region of Tamil Nadu has brought to light a series of Vatteluttu inscriptions dating back to the late 9th and early 10th centuries. These records, found on the base of the mandapa, detail a sophisticated 'Kudavolai' style voting system used for electing village elders, predating similar records found in the Chola heartlands.
The restoration project, which utilizes traditional lime-mortar techniques, has also uncovered hidden granite carvings of warrior-deities specific to the Chera military tradition. Experts believe the temple served as a dual-purpose religious and administrative center, where legal disputes were settled in the presence of the deity. The findings are expected to reshape the historical understanding of political autonomy in medieval South India.