It was on the 275 {+t} {+h} day of his 25 {+t} {+h} regnal year (1010) that Raja Raja Chola (who ruled from 985-1014 Common Era) handed over a gold-plated *kalasam *(copper pot or finial) to crown the *vimana *(the 59.82 metre tall tower above the sanctum) of the temple. Karuvur Thevar reportedly composed these verses for the occasion.
The article is not correct in saying its a gold plated kalasam If you study the unit of measure of the donations - all items in gold were measured in ' kalanchu', while other less precious ones - like cooking utensils, provisions etc were made in ` palams'
most of the donations in the big temple made of ` pon' gold - measured in kalanchu's are less than 100 kalanchus. there are a few large idols - which go upto 829 1/4th kalanchu, and ornaments 489 kalanchu
now - the trick question comes to this Vimaana kalsam - pot - its weighed 2926 kalanchu's - but it was made of sembu - copper
to understand this fully - we need to see the full text of the inscription which starts as
ஸ்ரீ விமானதுச் செம்பின் .......
jist is the copper was 3083 palams which was donated for the pot, which was treated ( heated) and mixed with other metals and the weight was reduced to 2926 kalanchu..the resultant was called 'palapon'
Source:
Accumulation of Gold in Tanjore Temple: An Enquiry into Its Sources Author(s): N. Vanamamalai
" In the year fifteen (of the reign) of king Rajaraja-Kesarivarman, on the day of Purva-Bhadrapada, which corresponded to a Tuesday, three evenings having expired of the month of Kanya in this year"
We have found before (above, Vol. IV, p. 266) that Rajaraja's reign commenced between the 24th December A.D. 984 and the 26th September A.D. 985. A date of the month of Kanya (August-September) of the 15th year of his reign, therefore, will be expected to fall either in A.D. 999, in saka-samvat 921 expired, or in A.D. 1000, in Sata-Samvat 922 expired. Aa a matter of fact, this new date works out correctly for Saka-Samvat 921 expired.
In Saka-Sanival 921 expired the month of Kanya lasted from the 27th August to the 25fch September AD. 999, and during this period the moon was in the nakshatra Purva- Rhadrapada - by the equal-space system for 15 h. 6 m,, by the Brahma-siddhanta for 3 h 56 m, and according to Garga for 3 h, 17 m., after mean sunrise on Tuesday, the 28tb August A.D. 999, which was the third day of the month of Kavya* (and the full-moon day of the month of Bhadrapada) .
The date reduces the period during which the reign of Rajaraja must have commenced to the time from the 24th December A.D. 984 to (approximately) the 29th August A.D. 985.
So if we add 275 days + 25 years - what date does it come to in 1010???