V. Vedachalam, an eminent Tamil epigrapher and historian, has been conferred the V Venkayya Epigraphy Award for 2024.
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Dr. Vedachalam, who has written and co-written more than 25 books on subjects such as epigraphy, numismatics, temple art, religion, and society, said he was honoured to receive the award named after V. Venkayya, the first Indian Chief Epigraphist to the government of India.
The annual award, instituted by Sunitha Madhavan, the great-granddaughter of Mr. Venkayya, in association with the Tamil Heritage Trust, commemorates the pioneering epigrapher and celebrates exceptional contributions to epigraphy in any Indian language, including discovering new inscriptions, offering fresh interpretations, sharing knowledge through various media, and preserving epigraphic resources.
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He said his work in the department of archeology in Tamil Nadu for 33 years had enriched his knowledge in various aspects of archeology. Looking back at the beginning of his career, he said that receiving the award in Chennai marked a full circle moment for him, having first come to the city in 1974 to join the archaeology department. During his tenure, Mr. Vedachalam was part of teams that conducted excavations at Madurai, Tondi, Karur, Thiruththangal, Mangudi, Alagankulam and Keeladi.
At the event, he delivered a lecture on the historical and political geography of pandya naadu, emphasising the importance of recording history accurately rather than distorting it to please certain groups or making it sensational for media appeal.
V. Muralidharan, founder and managing trustee of Sevalaya, a non-governmental organisation, and S. Swaminathan, co-founder of Tamil Heritage Trust, were present.