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V. Vedachalam

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இந்தப் பக்கத்தை தமிழில் வாசிக்க: வெ. வேதாசலம் ‎

Dr. V. Vedachalam (born: December 20, 1950) is an archaeologist, epigraphist, museum archivist. He was a part of the research team in the preliminary underground excavation of Keezhadi. He has played an important role in collecting and publishing inscriptions and archaeological sites of Tamil Nadu. He studied the Jain hills around Madurai and wrote a book titled Enperungunram. He is a retired Senior Epigraphist, Excavator of Tamil Nadu Archeology Department. He has been involved in art, archeology and historical research works for 50 years.

Birth, Education

V. Vedachalam was born on December 20, 1950 to Vellachamy and Velammal in Mathichiyam town, Madurai district. He has thirteen siblings. He attended Shenoy Nagar Government School, Madurai till SSLC level, and then completed P.U.C in Madurai American College in 1969-70. He did his MA in Tamil Literature from Thiagarajar College, Madurai.

He studied archeology for a year at the Tamil Nadu Archeology Department, Chennai and joined the Tamil Nadu Archeology Department as an Epigraphy Researcher in 1975. He studied museology at Delhi National Museum. He received his PhD from Madurai Kamaraj College for his research thesis titled 'The Society and Culture of Pandiya Dynasty'.

Personal Life

V. Vedachalam married Kalavathi in 1980. The couple has two children, Thirunambi and Thirunangai. He currently resides in Madurai with his family.

Research Works

After joining the Department of Archeology in Tamil Nadu in 1975, V.Vedachalam took up the work of copying and publishing inscriptions and other administrative work at the Chennai museum. He also participated in archeological research work. Even after his retirement, he is performing archeology and inscription studies out of personal interest. He has authored more than 25 books and over a hundred research articles.

Archaeological Research

V. Vedachalam has participated in archeological surveys in areas such as Karur, Madurai Kovalan Pottal, Thondi, Azhagankulam, Thiruthangal and Mangudi. He worked with Amarnath Ramakrishnan in the preliminary archaeological excavations under the Central Archeological Department at Madurai Keezhadi. He worked alongside Iravatham Mahadevan researching the Tamil-Brahmi stone inscriptions for four years. He has also worked alongside Prof. Noboru Karashima.

After his retirement, V. Vedachalam conducted research in the Indus Valley region out of personal interest. He has been visiting the historical places of India and recording their details. He has also been travelling to historical locations in Eastern and Western countries.

Publishing in Epigraphy

V. Vedachalam has read and recorded the inscriptions and copper plates in Tamil Brahmi, Vattezhuthu, Tamil and Granth scripts found at different places in TamilNadu.

In 1974, while V.Vedachalam was still a student, he studied the inscriptions in Thiruvellarai temple, and published them as a book. Later, while working as an epigraphist in the TamilNadu Archeology Department, he collected information about inscriptions district wise and published them in volumes. During his tenure, he created a manual of archeology of Tiruvarur, Dindigul and Madurai districts. He has also written a separate book in English about Virudhunagar district.

Historical Research

V. Vedachalam's primary area of research is South Tamilnadu in particular Madurai and its surrounding area. He has researched and published on the social geography of Madurai during the Pandiyan period, the history of the Pandiyan villages, its society and culture. The book Parakrama Pandiyapuram written by him prior to the year 2000, won an award from Tamil Nadu Government. He collected information on Thirumalai Nayakar Palace, Ramanathapuram Palace in Madurai and got them published as part of the Tamilnadu Archeology Department's catalogue. After retirement he wrote a book on 'Paandiyanaatu Varalaatrumurai Samuga Nilaviyal' (Historical and Social Geography of the Pandiyan Dynasty), which received the TamilNadu Government's Award for Best Book.

Enperungunram
V.Venkayya Epigraphy Award - 2024

V. Vedachalam conducted field research on Jainism in the Pandiya region, and wrote a book titled Pandiya Naatil Samana Samayam. His book Enperungunram documents the details of Samana Jain palli caves, sculptures, and Tamil Brahmi inscriptions. The oldest inscriptions found about the Jains in South India are in the Madurai region, and were discovered by V. Vedhachalam. He has compiled the data of Samana Palli from the Sangam period to the contemporary surviving ones with archeological, epigraphical and literary sources.

General activities

Training

V. Vedachalam has conducted training courses on archaeological inscriptions in Sri Lanka for more than eight years, on behalf of the Sri Lankan government's Department of Hindu Religious and Cultural Affairs. He has also been training students and teachers from Tamil Nadu on archeology, art and stone inscriptions.

Editorial

V. Vedachalam worked for six years as the editor of the annual magazine 'Aavanam' published by the Indian Archeological Society.

Walk tours

For the past fifteen years, V. Vedachalam has been coordinating training sessions on inscriptions and archeology in villages, on behalf of the Dhanam Foundation. More than 300 meetings have been coordinated so far in Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli and Madurai districts.

Research significance

V. Vedachalam's research on Jain Samana Palli with focus on the areas around South Tamilnadu (Earlier Pandiya kingdon), are considered the most important in the domain. The oldest Jain Inscriptions in South India were discovered by V. Vedachalam[1]. He visited the Samana Palli around Madurai region, studied the inscriptions, documented them and brought them under the care of the Department of Archaeology.

V. Vedachalam has made a thorough study of the Madurai civilization during the Pandiya regime. He has studied and compiled the social geography, history, society and culture of Pandiya Kingdom during the Pandiya regime.

Awards

  • Tamil Nadu Government Award for Best Book Parakrama pandiyapura'm
  • Tamil Nadu Government Award for Best Book Pandiya Naatu Varalaatrumurai Samuga Nilaviyal
  • Friends of Heritage Sites Award - 2022[2]
  • V. Venkayya Epigraphy Award, awarded by the Tamil Heritage Trust, Chennai, 2024[3]
  • Tamil Wiki - Thooran Award, 2025
  • Trichy Rajamanickanaar History Research Institute - Best Epigraphist Award

Books

  • Pandiya Naatu Varalaatrumurai Samuga Nilaviyal
  • Pandiya Nindraseer Nedumaran
  • Pandiya Naatu Oorgalin Varalaaru
  • Pandiya Naatu Samudayamum Panpaadum
  • Pandiya Naatil Samana Samayam
  • Pandiya Mandalathil Vaanathirayargal
  • Parakrama Pandiyapuram
  • Enperungunram
  • Kazhugumalai Samanapalli
  • India Kalavaralatril Aruvagai Theiva Vazhipadu
  • Pandiya Naatil Vanigam Vanigar Vaniganagarangal
  • Pandiyanaatu Oorgalin Varalaru (Oor, Pramadeyam, Vaniganagaram, Padaipatru)
  • Varalatril Jestadevi Moodevi Vazhipadu
  • Virudhunagar District - An Archaeological Sourcebook, V. Vedachalam, G. Sethuraman, Madhuca Krishnan
  • The Sculptural Splendours of Meenakshi Temple, Dr. V. Vedachalam, Dr. G. Sethuraman
  • Iyakki Vazhipadu
  • Madurai Mavatta Kalvettugal thogudhi
  • Virudhunagar Mavatta Kalvettugal thogudhi
  • Tirumalai Nayakkar Seppedugal
  • Madurai Mavatta Tholliyal Kaiyedu
  • Thiruvarur Mavatta Tholliyal Kaiyedu
  • Dindugal Mavatta Tholliyal Kaiyedu
  • Rameshwaram (Publications Division)
  • Madurai Meenakshi Sundareshwarar Kovil (Publications Division)
  • Thanjai Peruvudaiyaar kovil (Publications Division)
Editor
  • Tholliyal Suvadugal, S. Tekla, V. Vedachalam, New Century Bookhouse

References

Links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ C.E 2nd and 1st century inscriptions found at Madurai See: Enperumkundram
  2. ↑ Hands on for Heritage, Friends of Heritage Sites award for V Vedachalam, 2022
  3. ↑ V Venkayya Epigraphy Award 2024, Tamil Heritage Trust

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✅Finalised Page


முதலில் வெளியிடப்பட்ட தேதி: 08-Aug-2024, 22:03:12 IST

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