EAP810/22/18

Title in original script: தலைப்பு இல்லை (பெரிய தம்பி மற்றும் குஞ்சு தம்பி கதை)

The manuscript is composed of a text, written in verses, numbered from 2 to 49; it is incomplete. The manuscript is in good condition. The leaves are long and twisted; they are very fragile, some of them are slightly broken and the last one is very damaged.

The text is the story of two brothers, Valiya (Periya means eldest) Tampi and Kuñcu Tampi, who lived at Tiruvaṉantapuram, in the kingdom of Tiruvāṅcore (presently, the capital of the Kerala state). At Tiruvaṉantapuram, there was a severe famine which forced people to migrate in search of food. Tēṉmoḻi and her brother fled the famine and went to Pāḷayaṅkōṭṭai. They went then to Paḷḷiyur, to Paṇakkuṭi, to Āṉamoḻi, and finally, they settled in Cucīntiram (or Suchindram; 5 km from Nagerkoil). Tēṉmoḻi’s brother got a job as a guard to the king, and Tēṉmoḻi, spent her time in doing service at the temple of Cucīntiram. A day, the king’s family visited the temple and saw Tēṉmoḻi doing service. Greatly impressed by her work and her beauty, a man belonging to the king’s family married her. She lived a happy and wealthy life; she gave birth to a daughter and two sons, Valiya Tampi, and then, Kuñcu Tampi. The two boys, who learned well, become very proficient in the techniques of war. Become adult, the elder son declared to his father that he wanted to rule the kingdom. As his father refused, Valiya Tampi imprisoned his parents and sister, and became a king. His father died of sorrow. Kuñcu Tampi, who was free, started to save his mother and sister. He succeeded to shift them to a secret place. But they were caught by Valiya Tampi who ordered the officers to kill them. The officers refused. The story ends here.

Size of the manuscript: 55.5cm x 3.2cm. The text is formed of 50 leaves numbered from 2 to 48; the first and last leaves which are broken have no longer number. The manuscript is in good condition for reading, but the leaves are twisted, very fragile and breakable, as well as very darkened.