The Trader (or) Merchandile Community (vaniyars)

The Vaisyas otherwise called vaniyar in Tamil belonged mostly to urban areas. Traders carried on inland and other country trade by transporting their merchandise in carts and on the back of animals. There was overseas commerce during the Chola reign. People like Nanadesikan, Disaiyayirathu Ainootruvar and Valzanjiar engaged in overseas trade. The commentators on the Tolkappiyam narrate that trade was common to Vaisyas. The roads were conducive to local trade. Minor roads were called vazhi and the major roads as Peruvazhi. The rulers patronised the Vaniyars and merchandile community to a large extent. The trading community had considerable produce and productive lands. They were rich and affluent and enjoyed comforts. They also devoted themselves to social service and enjoyed the goodwill of people. They were keen participants in renovation of temples, conducting festivals and allied activities inducting daily rites and rituals. From the inscriptions of this temple, we come to know that a Vaniyar community, the traders of this Munnur village established their settlements on the western side of this temple. For instance a record^[1] of Rajaraja III issued in his 13^th regnal year (A.D.1030) refers to a purchase of 224 kuli land form the Siva Bramanas by paying seven kazhanju of gold for laying a separate Vaniyar street on the west side of the temple by one Ammiayappan Ponthaman alias Narpathonnayiram of Thakkolam. It reveals the existence of Trader settlements nearer to the temple the establishment of Trader settlement in Munnur village.

In addition to this a record^[2] of Rajaraja II issued in his 14^th regnal year (A.D.1167) mentions a gift of nine gold coins for burning a santhi lamp to the presiding deity by one businessmen known as Kadavuzhon Devan Udaiyan of Rajasingapuram Thirumunaipadi Nadu It reveals that the business class, the Vaniyars, the mercandile community^[3] lived in the Munnjur settlements and the temple received the religious significance from the merchandile community.