Very glad to inform you that I was fortunate to join our Valarallaru team in participating ASI Meet held at BHEL Trichy on 29.07.05. Kamal - Ram - Lavanya attended from forenoon session itself. I could attend from the mid AN Session only. Dr. Kalaikovan read his paper on Adyanthakaamam. Dr.Nalini and other RMHRC members were also present.
Dr. Subbarayan (Tamil University, Thanjai) Dr.Rajavelu, Dr. Sathiamurthy (ASI) & Dr. Rajagopal of Thanjai Thooliyal Kazhagam, Dr. Thiagarajan (Ariyalur Arts College) and similar scholars were present.
Dr. Rajagopal submitted his paper on linguistic details :: vattezhuthu - Brahmi - Tamil Brahmi - Lankan Brahmi - chozhas scripts etc .. their comparative studies - slide show on certain important inscriptions etc. Dr. Thiagarajan's students presented some papers on linguistic matters. (he was the one who identified Dino's Eggs in Ariyalur area - pre-historic find last year!)
Another Researcher (I think Mr Prabakar) presented a paper on MUSIRI - very much interesting. According to him MUSIRI (PORT) OF CHERAS is somewhere at about 38 Kms North of Ernakulam in a village called PATTINAM ! His presentation was well appreciated by all present. It was interesting to note that in Kerala, from Kasargode to Trivandrum, every property is compounded (belonged to private land Owners) and very difficult to undertake escavation unlike in Tamilnadu. In Pattinam escavation they have found a SQUARE TYPE COPPER COIN (Others exclaimed Prabakar was lucky to COIN / KASU, we did not get Kasu!).
Dr. Sathiamurthy's speech was studded with several details :
1. Post Tsumnami Studies at Mamallapuram Shore 2. Under water studies off-shore 3. Adhichanallur :: A skull - with THREE HOLES - (two eye slots and third yet to be identified even by Western Scholars!) EXPECTED TO BE DATED BACK TO 6000 B.C. ! He informed the gathering this is in preliminary studies and was hesitant to authenticate at this early stage.
The Seminar commenced around 1000 am and concluded at 1730 hrs. Well attended by about hundred delegates.
" Aavanam " is the publication brought out by Tamil Tholliyal Kazhagam, Thanjavur.
Titbit : Dr. Sathiyamurthy, who worked in ASI Kerala for 7 yrs - quoted from Western Scholars :: If a ship leaves YEDAN PORT - with the wind velocity - without any obstruction -it will reach MUSIRI (CHERAS) WEST COAST effortlessly - because of which there were several Trade ships in the past connecting us to the West.