“Just reading history is not enough, it should be related to the present times to analyse things happening now,” said Tamil film director and actor Karu. Palaniappan.
He launched a documentary, ‘Tamizhisoozh Maamadurai’, at an event organised by Friends of Heritage Sites (FoHS) here on Tuesday. Speaking on the occasion, he said reading history was very important to differentiate it from the stories being propagated as history.
Conceiving stories in the name of history was very dangerous as it could distort truth and place lies in the front, he noted.
Speaking about the rich history of Madurai region, epigrapher and historian V. Vedachalam said no other place in Tamil Nadu could see such a vast and rich historical evidence. Also, no other place in the country was attacked and vandalised like Madurai.
“But it preserved most of the important evidence in the form of writings, inscriptions and remnants to display to the world the richness of Tamil society,” Mr. Vedachalam said.
The historical remnants which withstood harsh attacks could not stand the carelessness and abuse of our own people, he said, adding, “A seventh century stone which was used as a washing stone on the banks of Vaigai river was identified while studying evidence. It was later moved to be preserved.”
The Tamizhi inscriptions found on Mangulam-Meenakshipuram hillocks were another reason for Tamil to get its classical status. “Though the hillocks look like simple caves, findings reveal that they were once vibrant places used to educate and treat people,” he said.
Historian K.T. Gandhirajan said important places were lost due to people’s carelessness and abuse of historical evidence. “People often scribble or inscribe their names on rocks using sharp objects. That often distorts crucial evidence,” he added.
The documentary which stressed the importance of such locations should be an eye-opener for the viewers about the history their localities had hidden for centuries, he added.
Advocate S. Vanchinathan referred to a similar documentary which was shot to protect hillocks from granite quarrying and said the documentaries were an important tool to display the hidden gems of such places.
Tamil writer Subbarao explained how the practice of documenting something by writing was religiously followed in Tamil . “In other languages writing was seen only as a record to facilitate trade and other activities,” he added.
B. Asai Thambi of the Department of Archaeology, Government Museum Curator M. Marudhupandian, FoHS president Sharmila Devadoss and FoHS Pandyas convenor Ramaa Srikrishna were present.
Published – February 11, 2025 11:47 pm IST