CHENNAI: Almost over a week ago, there was a buzz of excitement among the history and heritage communities down south. KT Gandhirajan, a renowned art historian and researcher (of artefacts and rock art), with over two decades of experience in the field, discovered a 2,000-odd-year-old Tamil Brahmi inscription on a brokenpillar at the Ekanathan Mutt in Kinnimangalam, a village located 18- odd kilometres from Madurai.
To facilitate a dee p e r understanding of the discovery, Friends of Heritage Sites (FoHS), a not-for-profit established to nurture the participation of people in heritage-related discussions and activities, curated a virtual interaction with the man of the moment. Hosted by Sharmila Ganesan of FoHS, the hour-long interactive session gave the 15-odd participants, which included researchers, professors and enthusiasts, an overview of the discovery. With analysis and research in its preliminary stages, Gandhirajan said that it was “too soon to conclude”. “Madurai has been a historically important town and a trade route for over 2,500 years now.
With such discoveries, it has only made researchers like us more inquisitive,” said Gandhirajan, recounting how he stumbled upon the inscription. “Early last month, while carrying out analysis and documentation of monuments in the region, I stumbled upon a potsherd with a Brahmi letter. One thing led to another and we found this memorial pillar with the inscription that reads: Ekan Athan Kottam (Territory of the king/chieftain of the region). While athan commonly appears in several Brahmi inscriptions in TN, this is the first time we have found the word kottam.
This makes the discovery all the more interesting,” he shared, adding that those who run the mutt now claim to be the 67th generation of the clan. “We do not have facts to prove it. We have to delve deep into the antiquities and conduct further analysis to learn about it,” he said. The place of discovery was perhaps once a transit location and a bustling trade junction for merchants and travellers alike. “Kinnimangalam’s proximity to the famous Keeladi site and the Kongal Puliyankulam, another important Tamil Brahmi site only validates the significance of the discovery,” he explained. A Vattezhuthu inscription on a stone slab, signifying a donation to the burial temple of Ekanathan was also found along with other brassware and pots. Calling his discovery the “find of the decade”, Sharmila added that Gandhirajan’s previous discoveries, including the prehistoric rock art site in Karikkiyur, Nilgiris — perhaps the largest in south India have added immense value to the rich heritage vault of the state and the country.