TIRUNELVELI: Chief Minister MK Stalin, who is on a two-day visit to the district, inaugurated the Porunai Museum – showcasing artefacts unearthed from excavation sites at Adichanallur, Sivagalai and Korkai – on Saturday.
Addressing the event through a video message, Stalin said he has been consistently asserting that the history of the Indian subcontinent must be written from the Tamil landscape. Recalling the Keezhadi excavations near Madurai and the museum established there, he said the Porunai Museum, built at a cost of Rs 56.36 crore, was the next step in documenting the Tamil civilisation.
The CM said archaeological evidence from the Porunai (Thamirabarani) river basin showed a continuous cultural sequence from the ancient period through the Iron Age. Excavations at sites such as Adichanallur and Sivagalai (both in Thoothukudi) have revealed burial sites and habitational remains belonging to the Iron Age, he added.
“Excavations carried out by the Tamil Nadu archaeology department along the Porunai river have brought out numerous artefacts, including objects made of bronze, gold, copper, and iron. Scientific dating had confirmed that the iron objects discovered in Sivagalai indicated that iron-smelting technology existed in this region at a very early period,” the CM said.
Stalin said the artefacts unearthed from the Porunai excavations have been preserved and displayed as promised. “The museum features details of iron-smelting techniques, a 5D journey through Tamil landscapes, visual presentations on traditional games, documentaries on archaeological history and a digital feedback centre,” he said, adding that the initiative aimed to take the civilisational excellence of Tamils not only to the present generation but also to future generations.
Earlier in the day, the CM participated in the Christmas Peruvizha – 2025 organised by Christian Nallenna Iyakkam.
Extending Christmas greetings to Christians across TN, the CM said he came here after signing the government order affirming the right of minority educational institutions to appoint teachers. He also announced the renovation of a church at Kadaladi in Ramanathapuram district at a cost of Rs 1.45 crore and approval for the appointment of 470 teachers in minority schools. Speaker M Appavu, ministers Geetha Jeevan and Mano Thangaraj, Tirunelveli MP C Robert Bruce, and leaders from Christian, Muslim and Ayya Vazhi communities, including Iyakkam president Inigo Irudayaraj, were present.
On his arrival to Tirunelveli, Stalin held a roadshow in KTC Nagar where thousands gathered to welcome him.