V. Vedachalam is a prominent Tamil archaeologist. His studies are multifaceted. His very first work on the Thiruvellarai Temple itself serves as a prime example for temple studies. His research on Jainism provided crucial evidence that Jainism flourished in the Pandya dynasty until the fourteenth century. He has also authored books on the worship of ‘Thavvai’ (Jyeshta Devi) and ‘Yakshi’, and on the ‘Shanmata’. Additionally, he has researched the ‘Vanathirayars’, a lineage of minor kings.
He has categorized the geography of the Pandya country in various ways: historical, sociological, and trading. He is one of the few Tamil researchers who gathers huge data for his studies and conducts research based on it. He promotes archaeological awareness through his site tours and by teaching the public and students. Anyone researching the Pandya kingdom or Tamil Jainism, only they can continue their studies through Vedachalam's research.
Vedachalam was born in 1950 in Mathichiyam, Madurai district. He retired from the Department of Archaeology, Tamilnadu. His wife Kalavathi is a Tamil Professor. His daughter Thirunagai also a researcher, and his son Thirunambi holds a postgraduate degree in engineering. Vedachalam currently resides in Madurai with his wife.
Traveling - it seems to be a crucial factor in shaping your personality.
Born in Madurai, an ancient city, I never tire of traveling. Even with continuous work-related travel, I have personally traveled for research every weekend. I have visited and participated directly in almost all archaeological sites in Tamil Nadu and most excavations that occurred during my time. I have sought out and explored Jain, Buddhist, Shaiva, and Vaishnava sites across India, as well as Indus Valley Civilization sites. I have also visited historical monuments and museums in Egypt, Europe, and East Asian countries. There are still many places I wish to see.
My hometown is Mathichiyam, a small village on the northern bank of the Vaigai River in Madurai City. Our's is a agricultural family, we owned land in Ponmeni and Arasaradi. Naturally, I had an interest in history and travel, and my mother was the reason for this. There were thirteen children in my family, five boys and eight girls and I was the youngest. So, wherever my mother traveled, she would take me along. Our travels were mostly to temples. She would take me to temples in Madurai, Azhagar Koil, and Thanjavur. My mother instilled in me the passion for travel.
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| Egypt |
Technology has advanced so much that virtual tours are now available. So why is it still important to visit places in person?
Its heavy to describe the feeling I get when I see Ajanta, Ellora, Alexandria, and Dholavira in person? That moment of seeing something you've thought about for a long time is unique, and only those who experience it can understand the excitement.
You can get information from books and videos, but for me, direct visual experience is more important. Let's say there's a historical monument, You first learn about it as a piece of news but when you see it in person, it becomes an indelible image in your mind. As a researcher, I want to see an archaeological site, could be it a cave, a Jain site, or a temple anything not through someone else's eyes. I consider my own perspective as the raw material for my research.
Also I do sociological research, always direct fieldwork is the best way to do this. You can't just enter a village and start researching. You need to build friendship with people and talk to them a lot. They need to feel you as one among them. Once they trust you, they will become volunteers. They might say, "There's another statue here, go see it," and if you don't know the way, they'll even take you there. In remote villages where food isn't available, we've eaten meals given by the villagers while sitting on their verandas. The experiences gained from direct travel are immense.
Similarly, listening to them talk. No matter what changes there are, you can see the environment of a place as a continuation of its past. The people themselves are the biggest data sources there.
Your first work is about the Thiruvelarai Temple, and its content, published in 1977, is astonishing. You conducted social studies alongside archaeological research even back then. In one part, while explaining the kerala art form Chakyar Koothu, you also explain about Koodiyattam. I believe no one else in Tamil did this much in the Nineteen Seventies.
I appreciate your reading, you should know about the training we received that made it possible. When I completed my Master degree in Tamil literature, my family's financial situation was not good. Those around me were studying in other fields like medicine or teacher training. I don't want to become a college professor. My mind sought out new fields to learn.
At that time, an advertisement for a one-year postgraduate diploma course in Archaeology and Epigraphy from the Tamil Nadu Department of Archaeology appeared in the newspaper. The advertisement stated that those who had studied Sanskrit, Tamil, History, or Archaeology could apply. I applied and was selected. The Department of Archaeology was then in Mandaveli, Chennai, and I stayed in a rented room in Triplicane while studying. Our course involved half the month in field trips and rest in classrooms.
Architecture, sculpture, excavation, and epigraphy were taught, and Sanskrit was also a subject for us. For epigraphy, we practiced languages like Mauryan Brahmi, Tamil Brahmi, Vattezhuthu (round script), Grantha, and Tamil scripts daily by writing them repeatedly. They made us memorize many things. Important periods of kings and significant inscriptions had to be memorized like ABCs. Similarly, the 'Meykeerthis' (eulogies) of kings had to be recited by heart. Rajendra Chola's 'Meykeerthi' has more than a hundred lines, and teachers would ask us to recite from the fourth line, or the tenth line, or from anywhere in between. They taught us almanac references for time calculation. For an entire year, I studied with full concentration, undisturbed by the outside world. They continuously taught us so many lessons. It was like a Gurukulam.
You asked about Koodiyattam, there are two points regarding that. Firstly, the care Director Nagasamy took for us. He would accompany us on all field trips, not worrying about a lack of facilities. Temple halls, under trees, and excavation sites all became classrooms. It feels like a dream now, sitting for hours and learning at the Thanjavur Temple on a full moon night.
If any researcher or historian from India or abroad visited Chennai, Nagasamy would somehow bring them to us to give a lecture. That's how B.P. Lal, Deshpande, and others spoke to us. Similarly, he arranged for important artists and literary figures to speak to the students. It's astonishing to recall now how much effort he put into shaping us into an intellectual group, not just stopping at teaching the basics. Such conversations with people from various fields alongside education were one reason.
Secondly, my reading. Even now, you can see my library. There are more than five thousand books. From the beginning, whatever research I undertook, I would read everything related to it. My circle of friends was also large back then, and I had friends in Kerala. I traveled there and collected information. I also personally participated in seminars. That's how I learnt about Chakyar Koothu, Koodiyattam, and other topics.
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| Badami inscription |
How was the transition from studying archaeology to working in the field? Where did you begin your research?
Once I got a job in the Department of Archaeology, I worked in many places like Chennai, Madurai, and Ramanathapuram. However, I have traveled all over Tamil Nadu for field surveys. Back then, there were very few people in the department. If about ten people were working, four of them would be repeatedly sent for field surveys, and I was one of them. In the early days, I worked a lot in Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu, and Thanjavur. I have collaborated with fellow researchers to prepare archaeological Guide books for many districts of Tamil Nadu. In the latter part of my career, I mostly worked in the Pandya country.
I have participated in excavations conducted in Karur, Kovalanpottal, Thiruthangal, Mangudi, Alagankulam, Keeladi, and Thondi. I enthusiastically worked on documenting inscriptions, temple art, and various scripts in books. I took on tasks not as a burden but with joy, as a learning experience. I have discovered new Tamil Brahmi inscriptions in four places Vikramangalam, Arittapatti, Thirumalai, and Samanar Malai both individually and with friends.
You've seen archaeological sites and historical monuments across India. As a researcher, how do you interpret Indian culture?
Early in my career, I got one great opportunity. The National Museum in Delhi announced a certificate course for museology, which required studying in Delhi for a month and a half. This opportunity, which experienced department members didn't get, came to me as a young man. The Director of the Department of Archaeology had recommended me. For epigraphy, one needs to know Sanskrit, as Sanskrit words appear even in Tamil inscriptions. Since I had received basic Sanskrit training during my one-year course, I was able to understand inscriptions across India. Based on archaeology, I could also understand India's art and culture. Great archaeological and art historians like C. Sivaramamurti taught us at the national level. They showed us many North Indian archaeological sites. I had never been to Delhi before, and the direct experience of seeing important monuments and inscriptions in North India expanded my archaeological perspective to an Indian scale.
Even though India was known as many small kingdoms until recent history, i.e., before the British period, there has always been a cultural weaving from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, and from Mumbai to Assam. Stupas and rock-cut caves from the Mauryan period onwards, and artistic elements like Ajanta and Ellora, are spread throughout India. There is a continuous cultural thread. These Indian travel experiences have been fully utilized in my book 'Aruvagai Samayangal' (Shan-Mata - The Six Religions) and have been very useful in comparative studies on Jainism.
In my opinion, based on archaeology, the planning for village and urban settlements found in India is unique. I am not comparing it with royal burial sites like pyramids, ours was planning for all citizens. Even in this period, we cannot come close to that imagination.
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Tell me about your experiences visiting Indus Valley Civilization sites.
I have personally visited Kalibangan, Rakhigarhi, Dholavira, and Lothal, which belong to the Indus Valley Civilization. I have archaeological friends across India, so I stayed there and explored those places as much as possible. Now, it's not easy to go to Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, which might feel like a loss. But we tend to undervalue the archaeological sites of the same civilization that are within India, and that is not the truth. Especially Dholavira in Gujarat, which has been excavated for over 15 years. The period of the site is estimated to be 3000 BCE. Rivers flow on both sides of a large city, and dams were built from them to supply water to the city. Around the fort, there were three layers of settlements, with first, second, and third-tier residences designed according to the inhabitants' living standards.
There was a planned street layout, with streets in a straight line and cross-roads. Houses had a uniform structure. Wastewater was carried out of the city through covered drains. The well there still has water that can be used even today. The oldest signboard in the world was found there. Stones were cut and embedded in wooden planks, erected like our signposts. All these were found in that excavation. I would say this is the oldest urban civilization, a pioneering civilization in the world.
Similarly, I have visited the Kalibangan excavation site in Rajasthan. I have stayed twice in the museum there. Both the Kalibangan museum and the archaeological mound are places everyone must visit. Because it's a museum located near the excavation site, you can see the living quarters and the artifacts found there all at once.
You have worked with various researchers; could you share those experiences?
Yes, I have worked with many people. To mention specifically, I worked with Iravatham Mahadevan for four years on his research on Tamil Brahmi and participated in the creation of his book. At that time, Mahadevan had a small car that could seat a maximum of five people. He was a good driver and would drive us wherever we needed to go. We would go to each Brahmi inscription site, take photographs, and make estampages of the inscriptions. He would ask us to read the inscriptions aloud, and we would discuss alternative readings. Everyone back then was a hard worker.
When the great scholar Noboru Karashima conducted research in the Pandya country, I took him to the coastal towns and important places in southern Tamil Nadu. Working with Professor Subbarayalu and Vijayavenugopal helped me form ideas on archeology in my early days.
After your early books, there was a long gap before your studies on Jainism were published. It seems like a loss to the research world that your research writing, which began with such great momentum, did not continue in the same way.
After the Thiruvelarai study, my second book, 'Vanadirayars in Pandi Mandalam,' was published in 1987. In 1989, a 150-page book titled 'Iyakki Vazhipadu' (Worship of Yakshis) was released through poet Meera's Annam Publications. This book explored how female deities called Yakshis were incorporated and worshipped across religions like Jainism, Buddhism, Shaivism, and Vaishnavism. I researched and wrote about Isakkiyamman goddesses, worshipped from the Sangam period to the Nayak period, in this book. This book was widely discussed in intellectual circles and earned me a good reputation.
At that time, since I was in government service, I had to get prior permission from officials every time I published a book. I doubted whether I could express my views freely in that manner. Which writer would want to write under censorship? At one point, I expressed my regret about this to my professor, Subbarayalu. He told me not to worry, to keep collecting data, and not to stop my research. He said, "Only the publication time is being postponed." Therefore, I did not publish many books personally until my retirement in 2010.
So, you didn't express yourself for many years due to this. How did you get through this period?
Even though I didn't publish my major research independently, I continuously wrote for the Department of Archaeology's publications. I have written many books like 'Thirumalai Nayakkar Copper Plates,' 'Thirumalai Mannan Handbook,' archaeological history books for Madurai and Thiruvarur districts, and compilations of inscriptions from Virudhunagar and Madurai districts. I have written articles in the 'Kalvettu' journal published by the Department of Archaeology. I have published research papers through seminars. I wrote a book about Pandyan 'Nindraseer Nedumaran.' Near Sholavandan, there is a village called Thenkarai; I collected all its historical and sociological information and co-authored and published a book called 'Parakirama Pandiyapuram' with M. Chandramoorthy.
In that era, most people in the research world were focused on gaining personal recognition, but I continued my research without worrying about that. I dedicated all my weekends to research trips. I have traveled up to forty kilometers on a bicycle many times, and after buying a two-wheeler, I have traveled a hundred thousand kilometers on it.
This time gap also benefited me; I got a long time for each study. I kept refining them. Similarly, I believe that having no expectations on me was also a good thing, as I could write without any pressure.
You have done a lot of research on Jainism and the Pandya country. What led you to these studies?
I never intended to research religions or Jainism specifically. Similarly, I had no desire to focus on regional studies, taking up only a particular area. For me, everything in history is equally important; all regions, all religions, and all periods are significant. Among these, I decided to research areas of history that had not received much attention, were not extensively studied, or had not been subjected to proper research.
While there were many research books on the Cholas, Kongu Nadu, and Pallavas, the Pandya country did not receive as much attention. Even within Pandya studies, political history was covered, but social history, cultural history, and art history were not. It should be a researcher's primary duty to explore these unexamined areas. Why should a researcher redo what has already been done? I began this work with the idea of doing something new.
If you look at the culture and social history of the Pandya country based on political historical timelines, Jainism had a continuous influence for a very long period, from before Ashoka's time until the 14th century. So, I decided to write about this separately, and my article, 'Jainism in Pandya Country,' was the first to be published.
During that period, many people claimed that Jainism was completely destroyed in Madurai after the arrival of the saivaite saint Gnanasambandar, and even researchers wrote about it. But in reality, there was much archaeological evidence to show that Jainism further developed in the Madurai region after Gnanasambandar's time and persisted there until the 14th century. Based on this, I expanded my article and published it as a book called 'Enperumkunram' (The Great Eight Mountains) in 2000. The second edition was also released and received good readership.
Among the Jain sites in the Pandya country, Kazhugumalai is very important. The Jain monastery there was a major Jain center. It was an important educational institution and a place of worship, so I wrote and published the book 'Kazhugumalai Samanapalli.' In the interim, I wrote books related to the history of villages and social histories in the Pandya country. All these experiences helped me compile archaeological and literary evidence from the Sangam period to the 14th century into a large book titled 'Jainism in Pandya Country.'
Your book, 'Historical Social Geography of the Pandya Country,' is an unprecedented model in Tamil, providing very detailed maps of its geography.
People have asked me how I could write this book alone. But behind it lies forty years of effort and planning. I visited nearly two thousand villages, collected their GPS coordinates, and, based on archaeological evidence, compared their old and current names to create maps. I have recorded the boundaries of the administrative units of the Pandya country across different periods and the changes they underwent. The Indology department of the French Institute of Pondicherry helped finalize the maps.
We would have read that in a kingdom, land was divided into many small 'kuru-nadus' (minor states) for administration. This 'kuru-nadu' administrative division is actually a social division. This study shows how agricultural groups in the Pandya country were later organized into 'nadus' and administered by the state. Under the leadership of Professor Subbarayalu, we undertook a project called 'Historical Atlases of South India' through the French Institute of Pondicherry. There is a separate mapping division there, and a technician named Muthu Shankar works there. He technically verified and produced the maps I created. This was the impetus for creating the maps in my book.
This entire study is made up of minute details. The historical significance and geography of each village are clearly explained. One might think about topics like Jainism in the Pandya country, but I believe this study is truly unique.
Data is primary in research, and you have based your Pandya country studies on extensive data. How do you collect, categorize, and conduct research from this data? What research approach does researcher Vedachalam recommend?
Here, I am obliged to remember my teachers. I would say that Professor Subbarayalu and my PhD supervisor, Professor Vijayavenugopal, guided me in this. Subbarayalu, a great researcher, would give his book to us, his friends at the time, to check, and his attention to detail regarding information would be astonishing. There would be corrections in the research papers we submitted; if any information was provided without data, that spot would be circled in red ink with 'Proof?' written next to it. All these things left a lasting impression.
Then came the experiences of closely observing and participating in the research approaches of scholars like Iravatham Mahadevan and Noboru Karashima. Karashima also handled data in a similar way. Mahadevan would discuss inscriptions right at the sites, sharing different reading possibilities with us. During field research, Karashima would converse with us for a long time at the dinner table at the end of the day. In Japanese food culture, there's only one meal after breakfast in the evening, and our dinner table discussions would typically last up to three hours. He would then compile the conclusive information obtained for his research; this was his style.
My research is multifaceted, incorporating all perspectives. Another constant companion in my journeys is my camera. From the beginning until now, my cameras have changed with the times. But I have photographs from the first day to the present in my collection, more than a hundred thousand photos. These are great sources, because we don't know the current state of those monuments today. Through those photos, I can recall everything that happened in that research. This is my strength.
My research method can be summarized like this: you collect data, which is the major task. Trust that data; pay attention to what it is telling you. Derive your research conclusions from them. You do not need to accept any general information that is not data-based, no matter how great the researcher who stated it.
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| In home library |
What would you like to tell new researchers?
Research has no end. Visiting a place only once is not enough; going repeatedly is also a good approach. I have been to Vikramangalam many times. Once, while resting in a cave shelter due to the heat, I discovered a Tamil Brahmi inscription on the ceiling. Also It's important to study previous research. A true researcher, when engaging in a study, should know what research has been done before. Research should involve emotional engagement and intellectual activity.
Archaeology today is a multidisciplinary field, requiring connections with fields like history, anthropology, geology, botany, and physics. The connection with language experts is also crucial. Today, climate changes that occurred in history are being intensely researched. An interest in understanding all these is necessary.
Above all, it is most important for a researcher to be neutral. If they get entangled in ideology or politics, they cannot present their research honestly. This is my fiftieth year in the field, and I have faced many losses. Nevertheless, I have the satisfaction of having presented my research honestly, without compromise or bias. The integrity of the researcher is also a key ingredient in research.
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| In archaeology class |
You continue to conduct archaeological awareness classes.
I started teaching archaeology classes as soon as I graduated, so I've been providing archaeological training for over fifty years. To promote archaeology and protect monuments, awareness about them must be increased. I have taught classes to various groups, including young researchers, teachers, college students, school students, and the general public. I have taken many students directly to the sites. After retirement, for fifteen years, every second Sunday of the month, I have been raising archaeological awareness through the 'Dhanam Foundation'. I have a personal joy in training others. I have taught more classes than any college professor. My intention is to pass on the knowledge I have gained to others through writing and speaking. Furthermore, I believe this is my contribution to society.
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| Keezhadi |
Did you not need any other hobbies?
I've always had a special respect for writing. At one time, I was an avid reader. I read all the writers of that era and even sought out and spoke with Jayakanthan. That was one period, but after my interest in archaeology grew, I spent my entire life researching and teaching. I have no regrets about this, only pride. I often jokingly say in classes that if you ask me about my wife's or children's birthdays, I genuinely wouldn't know, but if you ask me about the period of Sundara Pandyan or Rajaraja, I would tell you immediately.
I must also mention that my wife was very supportive through all of this. She is a college professor, and she helps me refine my books. She has never scolded me, not even when I accumulated books or spent all my savings on travels. No one else would be like this; in that sense, I am fortunate.
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| Vedachalam's wife Kalavathi, Daughter Thirunangai (researcher) and Son Thirunambi |
What research are you currently conducting?
There is no end to research. I still need to write research books on irrigation methods, hero stones, and religions. Chitti Sivapadasundaram wrote a book named 'In the Footsteps of Gautama Buddha'; it's excellent, do read it. He traveled to all the places Buddha visited, from Lumbini onwards, and wrote about them even in those times without any facilities. I wish to write a similar book from an archaeological perspective. I have many such aspirations. As long as I have the strength, I will continue to be active in research.
Interview - Thamaraikannan Puducherry, Sasikumar Dindigul
ஆய்வாளனின் நிமிர்வும் ஆய்வில் ஒரு மூலப்பொருள்தான் - வெ. வேதாசலம் நேர்காணல்
Tamil to English Translation: Sowmya
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| Sasikumar with Vedachalam |
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| Thamarai Kannan with Vedachalam |
Translator Sowmya is a Postgraduate in English literature, also a good reader. She lives in Tirunelveli, Srivaikuntam.
