Reading between the leaves of history

CHENNAI: Revisiting ancient texts, apart from sparing a glimpse at the rich heritage of a region or land, brings to life the facts and details of a certain period. It is not only vital to preserve the texts but also rewrite and publish the manuscript in a way that suits the sensibilities of the modern reader. Commenced on July 1, a six-member tea m appointed by the HR&CE department has started the preparatory work to read, interpret and publish the 18th-century palm leaf manuscripts (Panai Olai Suvadigal) preserved in the Thiruvanaikovil temple in Tiruchy.

According to sources, the process involves cleaning and making the manuscripts readable. Following this, the department will form an expert team to parse the text. The International Institute of Tamil Studies, Chennai, was involved in the selection of the team, sources said. A Ravichandran, assistant commissioner of HR&CE department, Thiruvanaikovil temple, said, “Around 7,000 leaves, which were used for accounting purposes during the 18th century, are preserved here. We are writing an index for it based on the purpose for which they were used.”

Palm leaves, tied together, are referred to as Olaichuvadi, Ravichandran said. “The leaves interpreted so far contained details of donations made to the temple in various forms, and also details of the temple land,” he added. Once the leaves are sorted based on its content, they will be re-read by a different team, Ravichandran said. The leaves will be cleaned using clinical spirit, sources said. It will then be wiped using black dye and lemon grass to enhance its visibility and readability.

G Sandhiya, one of the team members, said, “The cleaning process will take time because of the condition of the leaves.” S Thamaraipandian, project coordinator and professor from the department of manuscriptology at the International Institute of Tamil Studies, added to this, saying, “After its completion, the project will be carried out in other temples too. There are several temples across the districts where palm leaves have been stacked up for years. It is an opportunity to revisit rare and ancient literature too.”

The text, so far, revealed fascinating information such as details on the elephant tusks the temple received as gifts, Thamaraipandian said. “The process to expand the project to temples like the Aiyar Malai Rathnagireeswarar temple in Kulithalai and Srivilliputhur Andal temple will commence soon. I am sure we will find details on the folklore culture of the State and ancient practices,” he added. It is vital to store and preserve palm leaves as they contain details of historical importance, Thamaraipandian further said. Before inscribing a certain information on walls of the temples or forts, it will first be written on the leaves. Parthiban, who regularly visits the temple, said he was excitedly looking forward to reading the revised text once published.