COIMBATORE: Learning a new language is not everybody’s cup of tea, let alone an old script such as the Tamil-Brahmi. But, for eight-year-old SJ Moshika, reading and writing the ancient form of Tamil is a breeze. Tamil-Brahmi script dates back to third century BCE to first century CE. It is a variant of the Brahmi script and was used to create ancient inscriptions.
A Class 4 student at Ramalingacolony Corporation Primary School, Moshika has created a handbook containing Aathichoodi, Moothurai, and Nannūl in Tamil-Brahmi. Her interest in the ancient script was spotted by her parents when she was six-years-old. “I saw some ancient script inscribed on stones when I visited a temple and immediately asked my parents about it,” Moshika said.
Meanwhile, her parents K Selvakumar (41) and Jeevitha (31) guided her to learn the script with the help of the internet. “My mother wrote Tamil-Brahmi letters next to Tamil letters. After practising, I could write the Brahmi letters easily,” she added.
Jeevitha, currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Chemistry, said they observed that Moshika was able to write mirror images when she was about two and half years old. “The interest that Moshika showed in learning in the Tamil-Brahmi script amazed us. Only after she asked us about the stone inscriptions did we realise that it was a good time to learn more on the internet. There are many websites and YouTube videos to learn about these scripts. She can now write Brahmi letters like an expert and is currently practising Vatteluttu script, a Brahmi script variant,” she added.
In September 2020, Moshika entered the Young Achievers Book of Records for writing mirror letters of Tamil, English, Hindi, Malayalam, and Brahmi. Lauding her achievements, including the release of a Tamil-Brahmi handbook named ‘Tamizhi’, the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) presented Moshika with a smart tablet during the recent Independence Day celebrations.