A. Anilkumar, centre, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI, Tiruchi Circle, and others during the launch of excavation at Kodumbalur.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The Tiruchi Circle of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has taken up an excavation at the habitation mounds at Kodumbalur in Viralimalai taluk of Pudukottai district.
Kodumbalur, about 40 km from Tiruchi, has several ASI-maintained monuments, including the Moovar temple, built by Bhuti Vikramakesari, the Irukkavel chieftain who was believed to have been a political ally of Parantaka II, also known as Sundara Chola (CE 956-973).
“Kodumbalur, which finds mention in the Sangam literature Silappadikaram, is one of the 32 sites we had identified for taking up excavations in the Tiruchi Circle under the ASI’s Looking Beyond – Vision Statement for Excavations by 2035” A. Anilkumar, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI, Tiruchi Circle, told The Hindu. Kodumbalur is referred to as Kodumbai in Silappadikaram, he said.
“We had obtained the licence from CABA (Central Advisory Board on Archaeology) and the excavation at the site commenced on Friday,” Mr. Anilkumar, who will be the Excavation Director, added.
The excavation has been taken up in front of the Perumal temple and Kottaikaraimedu in the village. Local residents and students were also involved in the excavation.
V. Muthukumar, Assistant Superintending Archaeologist, will be the Co-director of the excavation. S. Ranimole, Assistant Superintending Archaeologist, H. Raghavendra, Draughtsman, ASI, Tiruchi Circle, and archaeology students are part of the team.
The excavation would seek to establish the cultural sequence and collect archaeological data to understand the complete history of Kodumbalur.
“We will revisit the references to Kodumbalur in the Sangam literature and try and correlate them with the present scenario,” Mr. Anilkumar said.
Sitannavasal in Pudukottai district and Pulimankombai in Theni district are among the sites identified for excavation by the Circle. The ASI would carry out the excavations at these sites in a phased manner. Through the excavations, the ASI would seek to reconstruct the history of Tamil Nadu, Mr. Anilkumar added.
Published – January 04, 2025 06:49 pm IST
