Veteran epigraphist and archaeologist honoured with Tamil Wikki Suran Award

V. Vedachalam, well-known epigraphist and archaeologist, has been honoured with many awards during his long and eventful career, but bagging the Tamil Wikki Suran Award as he steps into his 51^st year in the field, has filled him with immense pleasure. “It is a recognition of my services, and I am grateful for this honour,” he said.

At 75 years of age, his ardour to dig into the past has not diminished. His eyes light up as he reminisces about his first dig at Karur, the capital of the Chera Kingdom. There, he and his team were instrumental in unearthing a portion of the fort wall.

“I had just completed my MA in Tamil literature, and after finishing my PG diploma in archaeology and epigraphy, I was recruited into the Archaeology Department. It was while working in Karur that I realised this was going to be my life-long passion. Tamil literature unveiled the history of Sangam Age, and there at the site, I was seeing the historical sources in person,” he remarked.

His background in Tamil literature also helped him to become a consummate epigraphist. He remembers climbing up a hillock on a hot summer’s day in Vikramangalam to study various inscriptions found there. After a while, he stepped onto a deep ledge and lay down. And there on the ceiling was an inscription that had been hidden for over 2,000 years. “At that moment, I was euphoric. The feeling that I have discovered something new filled me with happiness,” Mr. Vedhachalam said.

He was the first one to talk about the potential of the Keeladi site. Even after retirement, many remember him visiting Keeladi in the morning and leaving the site only after sunset. This fervour has not diminished.

An author of 25 books, Mr. Vedachalam has travelled to various historical sites, not just in India but also abroad. “As an archaeologist, it is important that we travel and compare various sites. For only in comparison, can we understand the uniqueness and ancientness of the artefacts that are being unearthed in Tamil Nadu. For me, ancient history is much beyond caste and religion. This shared history binds us, and it is paramount that we preserve them for future generations,” he said. He visits colleges and meets students in order to disseminate what he has learnt on this journey.

Since 2009, along with Dhan Foundation on every second Sunday of the month, Mr. Vedachalam and his team have visited almost 300 villages to create awareness among the villagers about the historicity of the places and the need to preserve various monuments nearby.

For him, there are more things to be unearthed and even more that need to be preserved, for our ancient history now lives on in fragile fragments.