Hon'ble Minister of School Education Thiru Thangam Tennarasu launched the official website of the department and released the
department publications. Dr.T.S.Sridhar, IAS, Vice-Chairman Science
City, Dr.K.Arulmozhi, IAS, Member Secretary - Planning Commission and
K.Chandrasekaran, Principal, Government Fine Art's College, Chennai
participated in the function. The function was presided by
Dr.Shanthini Kapoor, IAS, then Principal Secretary and Commissioner of
Museums, in-charge of Department of Archaeology.
An 'Exhibition in Rock Art perspective' was arranged during 19
- 25th November 2008 as
part of Heritage Week Celebrations to create awareness among the
school, college students and general public.
WORLD HERITAGE WEEK
NOV. 19 – 25, 2009
The World heritage week is being celebrated every year in the month of November between Nov. 19th to 25th [in connection with celebration of former Prime Minister Late Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s birthday] for a span of seven days to create awareness among students and general public to protect, preserve and conserve the heritage monuments.
A scheme of digitizing inscriptions of about 20000 estampages in CD format was approved and funded by Central Institute of Classical Tamil Language for a period of three years for the department of Archaeology. The work of digitization was inaugurated by Hon’ble Minister for School Education and Archaeology Thiru Thangam Thennarasu on 23-11-2009 in the presence of Dr.S.Ramasamy, Officer in Charge of Central Institute of Classical Tamil Language which was presided over by Dr.T.S.Sridhar, IAS, Principal Secretary and Commissioner of Archaeology
On the same day, an exhibition on heritage monuments, excavations, epigraphy, and chemical conservation was conducted at Centenary Hall of Government Museum for the world heritage week and a departmental pamphlet was released by Hon’ble Minister for School Education and Archaeology.
Renovated Sound and Light Show at Tirumalai Nayak Mahal, Madurai
Tirumalai
Nayak Mahal was built in the year 1636 CE by the great Nayak ruler
of Madurai, Tirumalai Nayak (1627-1659 CE) This palace is
considered the most marvellous secular building of Tamilnadu. It is
believed that this has been constructed with the help of an Italian
architect.
The present
building is the main palace building where the king lived, and it
used to be four times bigger than what it is today. In those days
the palace consisted mainly of two parts, Swargavilasa and
Rangavilasa. Besides these two royal residences, there were a
theatre, a palace shrine, queen’s apartment, an armoury, a building
for housing palanquins and royal bandstand, quarters for relatives
and servants, a pond, and gardens etc., The whole complex is
enclosed by walls on all the four sides. The site museum was
established in the year 1980. The Mahal was renovated at a cost of
Rs.3.00 crores during the year 2007-09.
The newly renovated sound and light
show of Mahal, Epigraphy
Museum and open air sculpture museum were inaugurated by Thiru
M.K.Azhagiri, Hon’ble Minister for Fertilizers and Chemicals,
Government of India. He also released the book “Tirunelveli Mavattak
Kalvettukal – Volume I” and Brochure on Tirumalai Nayak Mahal in the
presence of Thiru N.Suresh Rajan, Hon’ble Minister for Tourism,
Government of Tamil Nadu, Thiru Thangam Thennarasu, Hon’ble Minister
for School Education and Archaeology, Tmt. A.Thamizharasi, Hon’ble
Minister for Adi Dravidar Welfare, Tmt.G.Thenmozhi, Madurai Mayor
and other local MPs and MLAs. Dr.T.S.Sridhar, IAS, Principal
Secretary and Commissioner of Archaeology delivered welcome address
and Mr.R.Madhivanan, IAS, Collector, Madurai proposed vote of
thanks.
A thematic museum on Epigraphy has been established in the queen’s
private apartment. Ancient Tamil Brahmi inscriptions are available
in fourteen places in and around Madurai. Models of Tamil Brahmi
inscriptions, and development of script are displayed in this
Museum. Hero stones of Vatteluttu inscriptions, Tamil
inscriptions, inscriptions from Sattur, Vadipatti, Kulasekarapuram,
Aenaathi, Tiruvidaimarudur, Natham, Koilpatti, Samuthirapatti,
Royapettah [inscriptions which indicate the history of 22 wells dug
by Ellis Durai, inscribed Tirukkural shows his love for Tamil are
also well displayed. A separate open air Sculpture museum which
contains the various collections of the department at different
times will be of great value and interest to the research scholars
and public.
One-day Seminar on “Protecting Monuments for Posterity”
The Tourism and Culture Department, Government of Tamilnadu has organized one-day Seminar on “Protecting Monuments for Posterity” on 4th August 2009 at Hotel Residency Towers, Chennai.
The aim of the seminar is to discuss the following objectives :
- Create awareness among departmental officials, tourists and general public about the conservation of monuments, archaeological sites and objects of heritage value;
- Identify technical, administrative and financial issues relating to conservation and protection of monuments;
- Facilitate agencies towards better protection of monuments from vandalism and misuse;
- Encourage various agencies to inculcate heritage values for the benefit of posterity.
Thiru K.S.Sripathi, IAS, Chief Secretary to Tamil Nadu inaugurated the seminar and highlighted the purpose of the seminar in his address in the presence of Dr.V.Irai Anbu, IAS, Secretary to Government, Tourism and Culture, Government of Tamil Nadu, pointed out the necessity of promoting heritage tourism in his keynote address.
Dr.T.S.Sridhar, IAS, Principal Secretary/Commissioner of Archaeology focused the objectives of the seminar in his theme address and Dr.A.C.Mohandoss, IAS, Director of Tourism briefed the importance of heritage tourism.
Ms.Sathyabhama Badhreenath, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI, observed the various practices of conservation for protecting their monuments. Thiru P.R.Shampath, IAS, Commissioner, HR&CE explained the methods adopted in conservation of ancient temples.
The Chief Engineer [Buildings]PWD Er.S.Karunakaran mentioned the practical difficulties faced by them while conserving the ancient monuments. Dr.P.Senthil Kumar, IAS, Director Municipal Administration discussed the role of local bodies / community in heritage preservation. The NGOs REACH, INTACH, friends of museum, Aadinams, Senior Prince of Thanjavur actively participated in the seminar and shared their experiences.
Dr.T.S.Sridhar, IAS, Principal Secretary and Commissioner of Archaeology and Thiru Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Commissioner, Rural Development chaired the Plenary Session I and II.
The objectives are discussed in detail with power point presentation and the practical difficulties faced by the executing officials and the steps to be taken up by various departments to overcome the problems. Totally, the discussions made in the seminar are valid and effective to the eminent participants of various departments.
MONTHLY LECTURE
Angkorwat – A World Heritage Centre
Monthly lecture by Dr.Prema Kasturi,
Former lecturer of Women Christian College
Date : 25-11-2009
Venue : Conference Hall, State Archaeology Dept., Halls Road, Egmore, Chennai – 600 008
COPPER PLATE
EXHIBITION
Copper Plate Exhibition was inaugurated by
Hon’ble Minister for School Education and Archaeology on 28-10-2009.
Dr.V.Irai Anbu, IAS, Secretary, Tourism and Culture Department
presided in the presence of Dr.T.S.Sridhar, IAS, Principal Secretary
and Commissioner of Archaeology and Museums and Dr.R.Nagaswamy,
Former Director of Archaeology.
Monthly lecture by :
Dr.R.Nagaswamy,
Former Director of Archaeology
Topic : Copper Plate Grants
Date : 29-10-2009
Venue : Conference Hall, State Archaeology Dept.
Halls
Road, Egmore, Chennai – 600 008
HERITAGE
AWARENESS PROGRAMME
As a
part of heritage awareness programme, the department conducted a
lecture on 12-08-2009 at Madurai Tirumalai Nayak Mahal for the
benefit of students and local public. The lecture was delivered by
Dr.K.Sadasivam, Retired Professor, History Department of Tirunelveli
Manonmaniam Sundaranar University on the “Importance of preserving
heritage monuments”.
AUGUST 2009 BOOK RELEASE AND MONTHLY LECTURE
Thiru Natana Kasinathan, Director [Retd.]
released the following books :
1. Chennai Maanagark Kalvettukal [Reprint]
2. Kalvettu Quarterly Journal – Issue 77
Monthly
lecture by Thiru Pradeep Chakravarthi
Topic : Madras
temples in song and inscriptions
Date : 21-08-2009
Venue : Conference Hall, State Archaeology Dept.
Halls
Road, Egmore, Chennai – 600 008
MONTHLY LECTURE
MEDIEVAL TRADE IN TAMIL NADU
Monthly lecture by Dr.N.Marxia Gandhi,
Deputy Superintending Archaeologist [Retd.]
Topic : Medieval trade in Tamil Nadu
Date : 24-07-2009
Venue : Conference Hall, State Archaeology Dept.
Halls
Road, Egmore, Chennai – 600 008
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