The practice of Tamil kings in Building their Rajdhanis as forts was a habit born of security reasons. In books like Yaazhpaana Vaibhavamaalai,  Kailayamallai and, also in sinhalese books such as Porthukeya, 'Gokila Sandhesam' several reference about Nallur fort can be seen here and there.About Kanagasurya Singaiariyam who was hiding in Tamilnadu and then came back to wage war, Vaibhavamaalai has this to say: “... When Kanagasurya Singaiaryan arrived at Madurai, all the small kings who were ruling the Pandya kingdom divided into various small kingdoms, handed over their troops and weapons and with all those weapons he reached Yaazhapaanam and entered it through the western gate". (Vaibavamaalai, page 47). And, it is too well known that the western gate mentioned here is but the western gate of Nallur fort.

In the chapter on the expedition of the Portugese army also there is a
reference to this Westerngate.

" .. beyond the gate, fixing the space in front of the gates of
Nallur temple as the battlefield, they started the battle on the chosen day and conducted it for eleven days...". (Vaibhavamaalai, Page 70).

The Porthugese notes too give a detailed account of this warfare. In
the book called, 'The Conquest of Ceylon' there are references about the
western gate of Nallur fort being at a stone throw from Veeramaakaaliyamman
temple and about the battle too. That there was a northern gate to the
Nallur fort and a temple of Shiva safeguarding the gate are also referred in
the story of subathitta saint which comes in Vaibhavamaalai.

" … amoung those temples the temple of Shiva that slood
safeguarding the northern gate, that alone would be realized first and
foremost by one who had earned the blessings of Lord Shiva...".
(Vaibharamaalai, page 53-54) The historical books provide no references
regarding the eastern gate or southern gate of the city. And, it is my wish
to study the historical works such as those of Porthugese, with great care
and attention and undertake research works on them. For, such efforts might
unearth many more factual details.

SOME INFORMATIONS ABOUT THE MARKET - PLACE.

One of the books of Porthugese titled 'Early Christianity in Ceylon'
(17th Century narrative) speaks about the market - place situated in Nallur

Rajdhani and inform us that the market was situated in such a way that the
king could watch the proceedings of the market from his palace. It must be
this market place that would have been the 'royal market' or designated
market ( @muthrai chandai ) then. We could learn that during the rule of
Tamil Kings the clothes sold in the market place bore the sign of the royal
emblem and so sold.

"As like the time of Tamil Kings' rule clothes that did not bear the
sign of the royal emblem could not be sold. And, a tax was levied for
affixing the royal sign also. "(Yaazhpaana charithiram, page 148). Seems
like the name 'Muthirai Chandhai' (Royal market / Designated market) must
have come into vogue because of this only.

YAMUNAARI (Tank):
There are also differing opinions about Yamunaari which is one of the Rarely seen monuments of the ancientness. One group claims that this was a tank that the Tamil Kings built for bathing purposes while the other holds that this was the sacred tank of Big Kandhaswami temple. Vaibhavamaalayar says that this tank was built by the king Singairiyarasan the First. But, Mudaliar Rasanayagam who has studied history too very minutely, holds that it was Singaipararasa sekaran who was one of the sons of Kanagasurya Singaiariyan who had constructed this canal - like tank.

As this Yamuna lake is situated close to the place where old
Kandhasami temple stood in the past, and as it is said to have come to be
called as Yamunaari because waters were brought from one of the sacred
rivers of the Hindus, the Yamuna river, and as the chance of a big Murugan
temple having existed without a sacred tank is too remote, more than the
contention that it was used for bathing purposes by the members of the royal
family the claim that it must have been the sacred tank of old Kandhasami
temple sounds sensible. This tank, having the shape of the syllable 'pa' in
tamil, i.e, a square - like shape, is very beautiful. Later on, during the
foreign rule it must have been used by then for bathing and washing. May be
that is why people like J.B. Louise must have thought that this tank was
used by the members of the tamil royal family.

Mudaliar Rasanayagam would say that in Nallur Rahdhani the houses were
constructed in various styles for people in various professions. The way
Nallur was renovated after Kanagasurya Singaiyarian won it back is described
in Yaazhpaana Charithram thus.

"...Seeing that Nallur was rich with resources of all kinds he decided to
renovate it and build royal palaces and roads, surrounding them elephant
stalls, horses' stables and beautiful garden with blooming, lovely flowers
of all hues and tinges and then the dwelling places of caftsmen who were
engaged in skilfully working on sill and cotton, and mansions with
beautifully made window's and ventilators and also separate dwelling places
for carpenter, goldsmith, painter, diamond merchant, iron - smith, bards,
lutists well - versed in books on music ……”

The city layout was said to be so. How much of these descriptions were
true can be found out in the course of our research on the city layout plans
and theories of the Hindus and also when studing the names of various roads
and streets and plots ( 'kani' ) which are in vogue in the present day
Nallur.

In a sinhalese work by name 'Gokula santhesam' ('Message through
kujil') according to which the building seen in the city belonged to the
fifteenth century (this book was written to sing the glory of Suppumal
Kumaraiya's Victory of Yaazhpaanam) there are description's about the
buildings in the city also. They are as follows:

"In Yapa Pattunae grand, tall buildings stand in rows. Golden' flags
decorate these can the aptly be compared with the City of Azhagapuri which
was the capital of Lord Kubera "(Yaazhpaana Rachiyam_ Kalanidhi C.K.
Sitrambalam, Eelamurasu 4.3.94).

OTHER FORTS:
Through the Porthugese notes we learn that there were three small
forts to safeguard Nallur Rajdhani. These were built in three places called
Koppaai, Pannaithurai, and Kozhumbuthurai, Kottadi which is seen close to
Pannaithurai seems to be the changed version of Kottaiadi. From the books
of Porthugese we come to know that there were main roads to connect these
forts to Nallur Rajdhani and that all along these main roads there were
check posts. Queroz Gurukkal's 'Conquest of ceylon describes the details of
war that the portugese waged on Nallur Rajdhani.