13,000 Tamil-inscription estampages moved to TN

CHENNAI: Minister for Tamil Official Language, Culture and Archaeology, Thangam Thennarasu, on Wednesday said around 13,000 of the total 26,000 estampages of Tamil inscriptions, preserved at the epigraphy wing of the Archaeological Survey of India in Mysuru for many decades have been moved to Chennai. The move is in accordance with a verdict of the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court.  

The minister said the ASI Mysuru has promised to send back the rest of the estampages in due course. “These estampages belong to the period between 1887 and 1942 and have been digitised using barcodes. The original transcript for each of the estampages has also been sent.  The annual Report of the Epigraphy, its number and the year have been mentioned clearly. Research on them will throw light on the history of Tamils,” the minister said.

The HC verdict had said these estampages should be protected by the ASI, Chennai under the category of Tamil epigraphy. “It is a happy occasion for all those who are keen on knowing the history of Tamil Nadu.  Besides, bringing these estampages back to Tamil Nadu is one of the promises of the DMK,” the minister added. Thennarasu also said the Tamil Nadu Archaeological department is ready to extend any assistance in preserving these estampages safely and in doing research on them.