"Wherever Hyder Ali’s men marched, Hindus were massacred in cold blood. Everywhere, dead bodies deformed by sword cuts and bullet injuries were laying in pools of blood. All the temples and houses on the way were pillaged and set ablaze. To escape from swords of the Mysore army which engulfed the area like flood waters, many resorted to hiding themselves in deep forests. When Hyder’s force reached near Bharatha river, they inflicted heavy damages to life and properties in Vettatthu Nadu by plundering homes and temples and setting fire to everything belonging to Hindus indiscriminately. Big temples which were pillaged and damaged partly or wholly were Nava Mukunda temple of Thirunavaya, Temple of Brahma and Siva at Thavanur, Kodakkal Tali temple, Mahadeva temple at Thruprangod, Mahadeva temple at Trikkandiyur, Vamana temple at Kalad, Lakshmi Narasimha temple of Edamana. Further several small temples were also destroyed. Hyder Ali and his army demolished the eastern gopuram of Trikkandiyur Mahadeva temple and entered the inside premises and smashed the wooden structure holding a lakh of lamps and the Gopurams (entrance tower) and Mukhamandapam (sacred pillared pavilion in front of the sanctum). The head of the idol of sacred bull (Rishabha) was severed. They tried to enter the sanctum sanctorum and pluck out and throw away the idol but could not succeed. Hence it was badly disfigured. The remnants of the attack of Hyder are still visible in the temple. Even now the idol of the deity worshipped at Thrikkandiyur temple is the same which bears the cut mark inflicted by Hyder."