MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court directed the State government to bear the cost of conducting carbon dating on the artefacts unearthed during the archaeological excavations in Kodumanal village.
A division bench comprising Justices N Kirubakaran and B Pugalendhi gave the direction after the Superintending Archaeologist of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) (Chennai circle) P S Sriraman, responding to queries raised in a batch of public interest litigations through videoconference, submitted that rare artefacts, including a potsherd with the first four alphabet of Tamil-Brahmi script written on it, were found during the excavation at Kodumanal.
Nearly 360 Brahmi inscriptions were found in the excavation, he stated. Though samples of the findings were sent to the Inter University Accelerator Centre (IUAC) at New Delhi, where radiocarbon dating is done free of cost, in July this year, no test has been conducted yet due to Covid-19 situation, he added.
Observing that research should not be postponed, the judges directed the State government to bear the cost of carbon dating so it could be sent to the Beta Analytic testing laboratory in Florida. The matter was adjourned to December 7.
Also hearing a PIL filed by Madurai Jain Heritage Centre, alleging that the Jain site in Yanamalai hills in Madurai is being defaced and an idol of Lord Shiva has been erected in the hills, the judges directed the authorities to remove it and take steps to protect the ancient site. They also suggested the government increase the salary of caretakers who protect ancient monuments.