THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kanthalloor Sala Heritage Forum has submitted a representation to the Kerala State Department of Archaeology and the city corporation requesting excavation at Valiyasala in Thiruvananthapuram. The development comes after the discovery of a centuries-old well with a laterite protection wall in a house in the city.
The well is located in a house 100 meters away from Eastern Gopuram of Valiyasala Temple. Many relics of the past exist in Valiyasala like the centuries-old well and pillars. Many historians have reiterated the need to start an archaeological exploration, lest the historical remains are lost, especially the historical remnants of one of the oldest universities in India — the Kanthalloor Sala.
Valiyasala is known as the former seat of Kanthalloor Sala. It is said Kanthalloor taught 64 different branches of knowledge and even atheism figured as one of the subjects. “The stone pillar carries old inscriptions. We can read some of them. But most of it has faded. We believe a lot of the inscriptions on the pillar must be buried underneath. Unless there is an archaeological exploration and an excavation, these will be lost,” says historian M G Sasibhooshan.
According to Sasibhooshan, the pillar has Vattayezhuthu inscriptions and another writing in Grantha script. “Kanthalloor Sala was famous as a reputed educational institution. The well is presently on private property. There were three such ancient wells. But they were filled and are non-existent now,” he said.
Valiyasala Jayaraj, secretary of the forum and a photographer, was the first person to notice the buried stone pillar inside the temple complex. He said he will hand over the photographs of the findings in Valiyasala, Ariasala, Chenthitta and Karakandiswaram to the archaeology department and the corporation.