RAMANATHAPURAM: Rajaguru, an English teacher at a government school in Ramanathapuram, loves to decode antique inscriptions. He dexterously deals with numismatics and Tamil architecture. Despite having a regular job, Rajaguru is also the secretary of the Heritage Club and the president of Ramanathapuram Archaeological Research Foundation. The club functioning at the Suresh Sudha Azhagan Memorial Government Higher Secondary School in Thiruppullani has been creating Tamil history buffs for the past 13 years. Launched in 2010, the club is focused on developing students’ knowledge of Tamil inscriptions, architecture, numismatics, culture, and archaeology, along with an attitude towards preserving them.
“We started this initiative to educate the younger generation about the Tamil language and its rich history. Up to 25 students undergo this training every year. Apart from in-house classes, we take students on heritage walks to monuments and historical sites, to show them the actual inscriptions, allow them to trace it and use it for identifying ancient Tamil lettering,” says Rajaguru.
The club was originally formed after the 2010 ‘Semmozhi’ Tamil conference, based on the government’s recommendation. Rajaguru recounts how the club found its destined purpose in 2012, when a ninth-grader from the club, discovered a broken Jain Tirthankar Mahavira sculpture on the banks of Kotrakkudi river, in his hometown, Koraikuttam. Over the years that followed, students of the club went on to uncover Roman rouletted potshards in Keelaseethai, an ancient oil press in Thiruppullani, coinage from various historical eras, and other artefacts. In 2018, a book titled ‘Thedi Thirivom Vaa’ was published, containing a compilation of 12 essays written by Heritage club students, on the origins of their respective villages’ names, histories of the native temples there, and associated rituals and songs.
A club alumnus,V Sivaranjani, who is trained in reading Brahmi inscriptions and currently pursuing her B.Ed. in Ramanathapuram has been writing about the historical importance and specificities of Tamil archaeological studies. Her research article on Thirumalugandankottai temple has been published in the international journal ‘Naveena Tamilayvu’. “My perspective towards historical sites has grown and matured, thanks to my days in the Heritage club at school. Over the years I have written and published five scholarly articles about historical inscriptions. As a next step, I would like to study Tamil ‘Vattezhuththukkal’. Also, I want to teach my students about Tamil history and historical inscriptions,” she said.
Vinoth, an eighth grader who is presently a part of the heritage club, says that he is thrilled to learn about decoding ancient inscriptions. “We feel like an actual archaeologist when we transcribe inscriptions. Such hands-on trainings are mighty interesting,” he adds.