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She recreates history out of old stones
She is one among a handful of rare women epigraphists in Tamil Nadu. She has devoted half of her lifetime to the study of inscriptions. A senior lecturer of history at Seethalakshmi Ramaswami College and honorary epigraphist of Dr. M.Rajamanickkanar Centre for Historical Research in Tiruchi, M. Nalini makes seasoned scholars look up and take notice through the sheer merit of her work. At 40, she has an enviable track record of discovering more than 1,500 inscriptions that have not been copied, from various parts of the State, publishing dozens of research papers and four books on the subject. She has been decorated with quite a few awards including the `Kalvettaivu Kalai Selvi' and `Kalvettaivu Semmal' awards. Dr. Nalini takes a break away from her precious inscriptions to chat with S. Ganesan.
THE MORE she pores over the ancient writings in remote and decrepit temples, the more engrossed she becomes. Surprising, for a person who had never shown much interest in even visiting temples before getting introduced to the field.
"Epigraphy is a fascinating study. Once you are into it, there is no end to the discoveries you make. It gives me a thrill each time I come across a new inscription. Knowledge of the past could enrich the society and it is gratifying to know that you helped people gain the right perspective of their history," she says.
Her brush with history came after she met R. Kalaikkovan, director, Dr. Rajamanickkanar Centre for Historical Research, regarding a project work, who initiated her into temple study and epigraphy. Her first field study led to the discovery of four new inscriptions at Thiru Erumbeeswarar Temple in Tiruverumbur near Tiruchi. She went on to trace the `Political Geography of Tiruchi,' a study of the early settlements in the region ranging from the 7th century AD to 17th century AD using the information available on the inscriptions. The study, funded by the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), gave her critical acclaim.
Specialising in Tamil inscriptions (though she is equally adept in reading Brahmi and Vattezhuthu), Dr. Nalini travelled to various parts of the State studying temple inscriptions and eye-copying many of them. Of these, she found that nearly 1,500 inscriptions had not been copied.
Dr. Nalini has worked alongside luminaries in the field such as Iravadham Mahadevan.
She has co-authored four books along with Dr. Kalaikkovan and is also an editor of Varalaaru, an annual journal.
Locating the inscriptions and studying them requires a great deal of patience. Apart from the recognition gained from other scholars in the field, the work does not bring in any monetary rewards. But to her, this factor hardly matters as her work gives her immense satisfaction. "I derive a sense of fulfilment from the thought that I contributed something to the society," she says.
It has also made her more daring. For instance, her never-say-die spirit gave her the courage to enter a cavern at Thirukolakudi by herself to discover the first inscription known to have been written about a `pisasu' (ghost).
She has also been involved in excavation work during the discovery of 15 new inscriptions at Thiruvalanchuzhi near Swamimalai.
Dr. Nalini was instrumental in introducing a paper on epigraphy for undergraduate and postgraduate students with the support of the management of Seethalakshmi Ramaswami College, which had always backed her in her endeavours. She feels that every college in the State must have a paper on epigraphy. She has also planned to conduct a 10-day capsule course on epigraphy soon.
She would like more youngsters, especially women, to take up epigraphy and has trained 20 people so far. But for the tedious work and travel, women need not fight shy of entering the field, she says. After all, occupational hazards exist in all professions, she says. She regrets that, "Though many girls show an interest in the field initially, they do not pursue it further apparently owing to domestic constraints."
There is scope for gainful employment in the field as there is a shortage of trained epigraphists. The Government could also do its bit to create more opportunities, she says. For instance, steps could be taken to clear the backlog in publishing the inscriptions discovered between 1906 and 1996.
With nearly 33,000 temples, Tamil Nadu is literally a goldmine for epigraphists. The State must accord due importance to reconstructing its history through a proper study of these inscriptions, she says.
She also perceives an increasing awareness among the masses on the need to preserve inscriptions. This requires no special effort, only an effort to desist from damaging them.
"Previously, we used to visit temples on our own to study the inscriptions. These days, many people invite us to study the temples in their villages as they want to know more about the history of their place," she says.
Now, people also take care that they don't damage inscriptions, mainly during temple renovations and while whitewashing the temple walls. People must consult experts before taking up renovation work on the temples, she says.
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Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
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