Mantharan Cheral Irumporai (Tamil: à ®®à ®¾à ®¨à ¯Âà ®¤à ®°à ®©à ¯ à ®Âà ¯Âà ®°à ®²à ¯ à ®Âà ®°à ¯Âà ®®à ¯Âà ®ªà ¯Âà ®±à ¯Â, title "Yanai Katchai", fl. c. 215 CE) was a ruler of the Chera dynasty in early historic south India (c. 1st - 4th century CE).
He was a member of the Irumporai/Porai line, a collateral branch of the Chera family, which had its headquarters at Karuvur (Karur) in the interior Tamil country. He is also described as the ruler of Thondi (on the Malabar Coast), the "land the mountain fence protects", and the king of Kuda Nadu.
Mantharan Cheral was a contemporary of the Pandya ruler Nedum Chezhian II (early 3rd century CE). His death was famously portended by a falling star, possibly a comet or meteor.
Mantharan Cheral is portrayed as a warring ruler in the early Tamil literature (the Sangam Literature). He was hailed as "Yanai Katchai", meaning 'the One with an Eye-sight Like an Elephant'.
In a battle of against the Pandya ruler Nedum Chezhian, Mantharan Cheral was defeated and taken captive. He was brought to the Pandya capital, Madurai. After his court trial there, he was imprisoned in a fort "inside a bamboo forest surrounded by the crocodile lake". The Chera later escaped, "unaided by strength and stratagem", returned to his country and "continued to rule his loving people in peace, plenty and harmony for many more uninterrupted years".
Mantharan Cheral is said to have won a victory at location known as "Vilankil" (Puram 53). In another battle against the Pandya ruler , Mantharan Cheral was again defeated (Puram 125).
The poet Kudalur Kizhar, who was present at the death of Mandaran Cheral, states that the king's death was foreshadowed by a falling star (possibly a comet or meteor) seven days prior to the event.
The brightly visible meteor, which appeared during the months of March and April, might have been Halley's Comet of FebruaryâÂÂApril 141 CE (under Aries across Phalguna).