The Tamils should jointly with the Tamil Nadu Archaeological Department strive hard to preserve the - art treasures, documents and other items of Tamil Nadu - of historical & archaelogical value.
There are many Items & Buildings of historical and archaeological value today remains in the hands of private individuals or remains neglected not having received the attention of the Tamil Nadu Archaelogical Department on its preservation.
If we take few examples, the famous Leyden Copper Plates speaking of the grants made by the great Chola king Rajaraja Chola - 1 remains in the Leyden museum in Holland. The Tamil Nadu Archaelogical Department with the help of the Government should arrange to bring back these Copper Plates to Tamil Nadu and preserve them in its Historical Museum in Chennai.
These Copper Plate Grants are in two sections. The Larger Section gives the details of the two Malaysian Kings namely the Chudamanivarmadeva and Maravijayotungavarmadeva {kings of then Buddhist Empires of Malaysia} who were granted permission by Rajaraja Chola -1 to build a Buddhist Temple at Anaimangalam in Nagapattinam known as Chudamani Viharam and thereafter grant of land for this purpose, which indicates to us today of the friendly relations Rajaraja Chola had with the Malaysian kings of around A.D.1006.
The Smaller Section of this Leyden Plates gives the confirmation of these grants to the Buddist Temple built by the Malaysian kings at a later stage by Kullotunga Chola-1.
Such a valuble Document should be brought back from Leyden Museum in Holland and preserved in Tamil Nadu for the future generations.
Likewise another set of Copper Plate Grants with 32 leaves of copper sheets engraved are in the possesion of the Karandai Thamil Sangam in Thanjavur, which too should be taken over by the TamilNadu Archaelogical Department and preserved in Chennai Historical Museum.
These plates too confirms the victories of Rajendra Chola - 1 over Kadaram (the Kedah State of present Malaysia in A.D.1025)and on the relation the Rajendra Chola - 1 had with the then Kamboja king (Cambodian King), who as a measure of his gratitude to Rajendra Chola - 1 of having assisted him with his forces to win over his enemies in that region, presented to Rajendra Chola-1 his great War Chariot as his present.
These Copper Plates which has all these valuble informations on TamilNadu's prestigious history was kept in a old wooden box at Karandai Thamil Sangam when I had the privilage of seeing same in 1980 immediately after the 5th International Tamil Conference held in Madurai, which may be one day lost for ever.
Like wise the great "Puthu Mandapam" with beautiful sculptures opposite Madurai Meenatchi Amman Temple which has become a Trading Centre, with all types of Traders having put their sheds within and doing their busineses.
As a result any Art Lovers cannot approach the vicinity as the sculptures were all tied up with partition cloths and strings. I noticed the hands of a beautiful statue which I saw the first time was broken when I visted the same place two years later.
The Tamil Nadu Archaelogical Department with the help of the Madurai Municipality should offer a new Building closeby with Rooms for these Traders to carry out their Businesses uninterrupted and preserve this Mandapam as an Archaeological Monument.
There are many such Items and Buildings that needs care and preservation by the Tamil Nadu Archaelogical Department for the sake of preserving the past glories of Tamil Nadu and its people.
Its nice to know that someone else is polambifying like me in these issues...
There is a department of tamil in London University with a chair in tamil...where all scriptures and olaisuvadis are kept deciphered and analysed....
The british goverenment refused to return them but granted a favour that they would have one visiting fellow from India who could come a study these scriptures and carryone whatevere research they wanted to do with them...
Unfortunately the fellows they send are not interested in tamil and are only interested in sightseeing britain and europe as most are relatives of politicians or beurocrats...( as heard in chaste tamil from the lady who ws the professor and chair person on tamil to one of my freinds)
Places of Heritage:
Unfortunately we have come to aphase heritage to tamils of present day is The Soapbox used by Sarojadevi or the salvai used by MGR.
If you went to any ancient european city they would have a section called historic town..forget europe even Malacca and bangkok have it where things are still preserved in the same state as they were years or centuries ago...ofcourse with facelifts but we have an attitute of destroy and demolish it is difficult to ceat those masterpieces one good example is Georgetown and the marina drive so many buildings have been demolished due to political will and moneymaking desire..
The majestic GGH was broughtdown to be replaced by a matchbox stlye building it has so much heritage that building it could have easily been converted into a medical historical museum and charge people to visit it....How many of you know the first ever female medical graduate is from MMC a scottish or Irishlady out of Madras mdical college...
Madurai and thjanjavur old towns are other examples..Pondichery is better in that respect the old fort side is still preserved....
the day tamils realise their heritage is more ancient and vintage and their ppresentday craze of superstars and puratchithalaivis will pale in comparison.....
thats when they ll hold their heads high...the greeks are still proud of alexander, the french stll love napolean and loius xiv how many of the presentday peple even know what were the extends of conquests of rajaraja and rajendra.....
they were not just kings of chola kingdom they were ambassadors of the tamilheritage and language if today you can walki into anypart of the world and see someone speaking tamil thats thanks to them(dont include the engineers and doctors working abroad today)
unfortunately tamil is becoming an extint language in tamilnadu...
(FN: I read the prediction of languages that english will soon loose its place and will be dominated by chinese,spanish and somewhere in the topten was tamil) alpa santhosam
I share your concern. I know that the general public have a long way to go before they start seeing the true worth of our cultural treasures - but much as I feel about our old treasures being lost, I can't help but think that our country is *not* exactly sitting still, doing nothing. The ASI has done much to improve the numerous temples in TN - there're so many temples I visited, which I've heard the locals say was *going to pieces* - before the ASI stepped in and brought it back to a pristine shape (one notable example is the Srimushnam temple.)
They're doing their bit. These things take time. But they're doing it.
> the day tamils realise their heritage is more ancient and vintage and their ppresentday craze of superstars and puratchithalaivis will pale in comparison.....
It took one Kalki to shoot RR Chola into prominence - but what he did, has been handed down to us, more than 50 years later. Today, a layman knows that the Tanjore temple was built by RR Chola (instead of the 'kirumi kanda... ' story that was prevalent earlier.)No amount of movie-stars can diminish the glory of the Cholas, Pandyas, Pallavas, or any other race. They've stood the test of time for a 1000 years. They'll stand for a 1000 more.
> > unfortunately tamil is becoming an extint language in tamilnadu...
Pls add : Rajaraja's Bronze statue & Olagamadevi's Bronze statue (Made by Thennavan moovenda velalan) when RR was alive - are in Sarabhai museum Ahamadabad..
But they were prudent enough to procure them in a Public Auction made by the British...