V Venkayya Epigraphy Award Lecture - Dr Y Subbarayalu - 12 August 2022

We are delighted to inform you that Dr. Y Subbarayalu, an eminent epigraphist and historian, is the Winner of the V Venkayya Epigraphy Award in its inaugural year, 2022.

The one-of-its-kind Award was instituted by Smt. Sunitha Madhavan, the great-granddaughter of Shri V Venkayya. The Award commemorates Rai Bahadur Shri V Venkayya, a pioneering Epigrapher who was the first Indian Chief Epigraphist to the Government of India.

The annual V Venkayya Epigraphy Award (VVE Award) aims to recognize exceptional individual contributions, any Indian language, towards the discovery of unrecorded inscriptions, interpretation of inscriptions from a refreshingly new perspective, dissemination of wealth of knowledge contained in them by conventional as well as digital medium and preservation of Epigraphic resources for posterity.

The winner was chosen by a jury comprising experts from the field of epigraphy, history, and heritage.

The Award will be presented by the Chief Guest of the occasion, Sri K R A Narasiah, author and historian.

Dr. Subbarayalu will deliver the Award Lecture on "Place Names and Migration of Communities in South India".

Do join us at 6.00 pm IST on Friday, August 12, 2022 for this event at Arkay Convention Centre, Mylapore, Chennai 600004.

Born in 1940, Dr. Y Subbarayalu is one of India’s pre-eminent epigraphers and historians. He was awarded Ph.D. for his thesis “State in Medieval South India, 600-1350 AD”. He has held several academic positions in institutions like Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, Tamil University, Thanjavur, etc., He also served as Visiting Professor at the University of Tokyo and EPHE, Paris. He was a researcher in the Department of Indology for more than a decade in the French Institute of Pondicherry.

He was General President of the Indian Epigraphical Society Conference, General President of the Indian History Congress, and Member of the Indian Council of Historical Research etc., He directed archaeological excavations at several places including Vallam, Kodumanal and Periyapattinam. He was a Member of the Indo-Japanese project for archaeological explorations in Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Kampuchea and Sri Lanka to study South India--Southeast Asia trade and cultural contacts. He was a Co-ordinator for the project on Historical Atlas of South India undertaken at the French Institute of Pondicherry.

Dr. Subbarayalu has authored, co-authored, and edited many books, publications, and articles. Among them are South India Under The Cholas and Glossary of Tamil Inscriptions; Co-authored with Noboru Karashima and Toru Matsui A Concordance of the Names in the Chola Inscriptions. He has edited South Indian Inscriptions, Vol. XXXIV for ASI and co-edited Inscriptions of the Vijayanagara Rulers, Vol. V, Part I (Tamil Inscriptions).

Inviting nominations for the Tamil Heritage Trust - Prof. S. Swaminathan Heritage Award 2022

The Tamil Heritage Trust-Prof S. Swaminathan Heritage Award (THT-SS Award) aims to recognize exceptional individual contributions towards the understanding, dissemination and preservation of Indian Heritage. By rewarding outstanding work in this area, the Award aspires to encourage interest and involvement of the general public in Indian Heritage, thereby raising the awareness and appreciation of history, literature, arts and culture which deserve our attention and care.

The award aims to recognize and reward the efforts and achievements of individuals. Thus, collective enterprises like societies, trusts and Section 8 companies and other interest groups will not be eligible for the award.

 

The last date for receiving nominations is Wednesday, August 15th, 2022

 

The award was instituted in 2020. You can find details of 2020 Award winner at : http://tamilheritage.in/2020/02/tht-prof-s-swaminathan-heritage-award_92.html.  The details of 2021 Award winner at: 

http://www.tamilheritage.in/2020/02/tht-prof-s-swaminathan-heritage-award_92.html

The Award is based on a nomination and selection process.

The Award will consist of a citation and a prize of Rs.25000/-

 

Nomination Process

 

1.     Any individual can nominate any other individual whom they believe has done noteworthy work in the area of Indian heritage.

2.     Individuals can also nominate themselves.

3.     Nominee's age should be between 20 and 50 years.

4.     The individual must be a citizen of India and ordinarily resident in India.

6.     Please click to download the nomination form from here

7.     Nominations must be sent by email along with the nomination form to admin@tamilheritage.in to reach us before August 15th, 2022.

      Nominations and accompanying details may be in English or Tamil only.

 

Selection of Winner

 

A jury comprising members of the THT Award Committee as well as experts from the field of Heritage will select the winner.

As a part of the selection process, the Judges may choose to have an interaction with the nominee in person or over phone.

 

Award Ceremony & Award Lecture

 

The THT-Prof. S Swaminathan Heritage Award will be presented at a formal award ceremony in September 2021

The Winner will be invited to present the award lecture at the ceremony. The Winner may choose a topic of her/his choice. The Award Lecture may be in Tamil or English.

 

 

FAQs

 

Am I eligible to enter?

 

We welcome Nominations from any individual who is a citizen of India and is ordinarily resident in India. Organisations and institutions – like Societies, Trusts, Interest Groups etc – are not eligible.

 

What are the criteria for selection?

 

The work done must relate to the previous 5 years. The judges will look for, among other qualities and parameters:

 

·                New discoveries or insights

·                Thoroughness of knowledge in the chosen area

·                Scholarly rigour in the individual’s output

·                Demonstrable eagerness to share with the public and involve them in a dialog

·                Consistency and persistence of the effort

 

In what language should the Nomination be submitted?

Nominations can be sent in English or Tamil only.

 

Is it necessary for the Winner to deliver the Award Lecture?

Yes, the Winner will be expected to deliver the Award Lecture at the Ceremony, either in Tamil or English, on a topic of her/his choice.

 

What is the Last Date for Nomination?

The last date for entries to reach THT is August 15th, 2022.

 

When will the winner be announced?

The winner will be announced shortly before the Award Ceremony and the Award Lecture.

 

When and Where is the Awards Ceremony?

The Ceremony will take place in September 2022. Details of the ceremony will be announced later. 

 

Is there an Entry Fee?

No, there is no fee involved.

 

Terms + Conditions of entry

The Award will be made solely at the discretion of the Jury. No feedback or correspondence will be entered into about the results and the Jury’s decision is final.

 

 

About Tamil Heritage Trust (THT)

Tamil Heritage Trust (THT) is a recognized trust (Reg.No. 379/2010) set up with a vision to promote, document and disseminate Indian heritage. The impetus for this came from Prof. S. Swaminathan, who retired as Professor of Mechanical Engineering, IIT-Delhi and Badri Seshadri, a well-known publisher, entrepreneur and heritage enthusiast.

THT’s events are conducted by volunteers with a common interest in Indian heritage and a passion to communicate its richness and beauty to as many people as possible. Aṣ a non-profit organization, the Trust is supported by sponsors and donations by heritage enthusiasts. There is no membership or subscription fees. THT’s Monthly Talks and Pechu Kacheri programs are free for all. The Site Seminars, Mamallapuram Study Tours and How to See a Temple sessions are run on an at-cost basis.

Our mission is to get everyone interested in Indian heritage and, if they are already attracted to this subject, provide them a community they can enjoy learning along with.

Towards this end, we conduct a range of events:

·      Monthly Talks on various aspects of heritage, conducted on the first Saturday of every month

·      Annual Pechu Kacheri (a lecture series) on heritage-related themes in December

·      Periodic Study Tours to Mamallapuram

·      Periodic Workshops on “How to See a Temple” and “How to See a Museum”

·      Annual Site Seminars – weeklong tours to heritage sites of importance in and outside Tamil Nadu

·      Presentations at schools to sensitize youngsters to our heritage

·      Heritage courses for teachers

·      Coordination with the TN Government’s culture/tourism agencies to support and supplement their efforts

 

You can follow THT on Facebook (/TamilHeritageTrust) and Twitter (@TamilHeritageTN)

 

About Prof. S Swaminathan

 

Prof. S Swaminathan is the inspiration behind the Tamil Heritage Trust. As a co-founder, he continues to guide the initiatives and activities of THT.
His interest in India’s rich heritage goes back to his days at IIT-Delhi where he engaged generations of his students in projects and conversations on India’s traditions in art, architecture, music, mathematics and science. After his retirement he made it his life’s mission to educate, inform and inspire interested audiences to discover more about their heritage.
A Professor in Mechanical Engineering in Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi for more than 30 years, Prof Swaminathan also worked in the Centre for Rural Development in IIT Madras, Bharath Gyan Vigyan Samithy, Delhi as the National Coordinator for watershed development and Integrated Rural Technology Centre, Palakkad, Kerala.
Fuelled by an infinite curiosity, his interests range far and wide. He has written a book on the Pallava art of Mamallapuram. His lectures on the paintings of Ajanta are legendary. His talks on an array of topics – 5000 years of Indian Art, The Story of Scripts, the Mathematics of Kolams, the Trees of India and so on - have served as wonderful introductions to awestruck audiences for many years. His erudition makes him equally at home with the fine nuances of Carnatic music, the complexities of Gandhian thought and the refined ideas of Nehru’s scientific temper.
His passion for education, especially of young minds, has led him to work pro-bono with schools and colleges – helping to redesign curriculum at one institution, assisting teachers to bring practical science to the class rooms at another, planting a Sangam-age orchard of tress in a third, and readily sharing his wisdom for the benefit of teachers and students everywhere.
He is the author Mamallapuram: Unfinished Poetry in Stone and monographs on the Paintings of Ajanta, and the Monuments of Pudukottai District.

 

Contact Us

For any clarifications, please contact us at:

Mail: admin@tamilheritage.in

Ashwin Prabhu, Ph: 98407-18533

Revisiting Martand Sun Temple: Kashmir Style of Temple Architecture. Dr Ratan Parimoo. Aug 6, 2022

Martand Sun Temple, inspite of having undergone much destruction, stands as a magnificent example of the architecture of Kashmir region from the first half of eighth century. Constructed as a prestigious monument by the victorious king Lalitaditya of the Karakota Dynasty, the Martand temple became the template of the medieval Kashmir style of temple architecture. Right from the late 19th century since its discovery by British colonial officials, the grandeur of Martand temple has been explained as a consequence of the influences derived from Graeco Roman architecture. Dr Parimoo has especially demonstrated that the early medieval phase of Hindu temple architecture of Kashmir is as much intrinsically related to the Shilpa Shastra tradition based architectural developments across the different regions of India, as much as the Sanskrit intellectual scholarship of Kashmir is inherently integrated with rest of the country.

The Speaker:

Prof Ratan Parimoo is an artist, art historian, and a pedagogue who has dedicated his entire life to producing art, teaching Indian and western art history and theories, and engaging in seminal research and critical writing. He is one of the pioneering art historians of post-independence India whose work is internationally known through publications he has authored and edited. Prof Parimoo received a Commonwealth Scholarship to study Art History at the Courtauld Institute of the University of London. He earned his PhD from The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. He served that institution as the Head of the Department of Art History, shaping the teaching of Art History as an independent discipline in India during his tenure. He was the Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts and retired from teaching in 1996. He was invited to lead the Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Museum in Ahmedabad as its Director. Prof Parimoo introduced European methodological framework alongside Indian aesthetic theories of Rasa and Alamkara for the analysis and interpretation of Indian art. From Indian textual sources he has drawn on Buddhist, Puranic and regional texts for the interpretation of sculpture and painting.