Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Conserved knowledge of the past, a click away

CHENNAI: For this department, every object conveys a message. It is their job to interpret and preserve. Soon, you will be able to access the knowledge they conserve through the click of a button.

A website of Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department and an exhibition of rock paintings would be launched on November 19, said the Minister of School Education and Archaeology Thangam Thennarasu. Plans are also afoot to conceptualise heritage walks and tours focusing on places of archaeological significance, he said.

The Minister met the Department members on Tuesday to discuss ways of promoting awareness among people about archaeology.

Commenting on places of archaeological significance in Tamil Nadu that people could go to, the Minister said, “Start by visiting the Big Four.”

Brahadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur is the first, said retired epigraphist Dr. A.Padmavathy, explaining the big four. Built by Raja Raja Chola I, this temple has exquisite paintings, she said.

The next is the temple in Gangaikondacholapuram in Perambalur district. The temple here was built by Rajendra Chola I to commemorate his conquest of the North that stretched till the Ganga. “There is a sculpture of Surya in a chariot pulled by horses, which was brought by Rajendra Chola from the North,” she said. “Unless you ask for it, you will miss it.”

The other must-see is a bronze of Murugan. “Unlike other statues of Murugan, here the deity is depicted as a warrior. It is as if Rajendra Chola personified himself in the deity,” she said. The next place to visit is Darasuram near Kumbakonam. In the temple there, built by Raja Raja Chola II, stories from Periyapuranam are depicted as miniature sculptures, she said. The last in the Big Four is Tribhuvanam, the place which is popular for its saris too. “The temple here was built by Kulotunga Chola III to commemorate his victory over Pandian country,” she said.

“In this temple, there is a unique representation of Shiva that is not found in many places. In response to Vishnu’s incarnation as ‘Narasimha,’ the followers of Shiva depicted him as ‘Sarabamurthy’.” Jain sculptures with inscriptions from 8th century AD can be found in Kazhugumalai (in Tuticorin district). It is also home to a temple which is known as the South’s Ajantha, said Dr. Padmavathy.

If the influence of one dynasty seems too little, visit Mannarkoil in Tirunelveli district. There is a temple built by Chera king Raja Simha in the name of Rajendra Chola I in the Pandian country, she said.

“This Department is unlike any other,” said the Minister. “When people retire here, they cannot be replaced easily.” For instance, A. Padmavathy and N. Marxia Gandhi are retired epigraphists, whose knowledge is excelled only by their skill in interpreting an inscription.

“They can read texts like no one else can,” said the Minister, “We can train others, but their skill is limited.”

To ensure that such expertise was not lost, the Minister said, “Those who retire could be consulted on an honorary basis.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu