Indology Festival - Wanderes and Witnesses - Traveller's Tales of India, June 16-21, 2025

 

This year, #THTIndoFest2025 brings together leading scholars, authors, and experts to explore how India was perceived, experienced, and recorded by travellers from distant lands through the centuries.

 

With the theme of “Wanderers and Witnesses: Travellers' Tales of India”, #THTIndoFest2025 is being held from June 16th through 21st, 2025. There are 12 talks scheduled over six days.

 

From Megasthenes in the court of Chandragupta Maurya to the medieval journeys of Marco Polo, from the religious quest of Xuanzang to the insightful writings of Al Biruni, from the shrewd political observations of Paes and Nuniz at Vijayanagar to the detailed travelogues of Tavernier and Bernier, the accounts of foreign travellers have long shaped our understanding of India’s past. These narratives—whether motivated by curiosity, conquest, trade, or spiritual pursuit—offer a unique and often vivid lens into the social, political, and cultural life of the subcontinent. And they remain invaluable to historians today.

 

Join us as we delve into the motivations and journeys of these intrepid visitors, the historical insights their writings reveal and the interpretive challenges and legacies of their narratives.

 

Whether you're a student of history, a traveller at heart, or simply curious about India’s place in the global imagination, #THTIndoFest2025 will offer fresh perspectives and engaging discussions.

 

There are two Online Talks every day starting at 5.30 pm. And they are free to watch. 
 
To receive your link for ALL the Talks, please register at: bit.ly/THT_Register
 
See you at #THTIndoFest2025!

From the Niches of History: The Nolambas, June 7, 2025 by Uma Rudhran

Who were the Nolambas? What is their place is history other than being the feudatories of the prominent ruling dynasties of their time? Did they have a unique style of temple art and architecture? Or was it just an adaptation of styles attributed to their dynastic overlords? In her Talk “From the Niches of History: The Nolambas", avid heritage enthusiast Uma Rudhran answers these and other questions about the Nolambas, a lesser-known dynasty of South India that ruled between the 8th and 11th centuries in what is present-day south eastern Karnataka, and adjoining areas of Tamilnadu and Andhra. The online Talk in English is at 5.30 pm IST on Saturday, June 7, 2025. About the Speaker: Uma Rudhran is an IT professional in Chennai, currently working as the Leader of Technical Infrastructure Service Delivery for a global FinTech organization based in the USA. She enjoys learning about Indian Art, Temple Architecture and Iconography. She is a regular contributor to THT’s lectures, site seminars and other events

Inviting Nominations for the V Venkayya Epigraphy Award 2025

Smt. Sunitha Madhavan and Tamil Heritage Trust are proud and happy to invite nominations for the Fourth V Venkayya Epigraphy Award (2025). This unique annual award was established in 2022 by Smt. Madhavan to honor her great-grandfather, Rai Bahadur Shri V Venkayya, the pioneering scholar who became the first native Chief Epigraphist to the Government of India.

The V. Venkayya Epigraphy Award (VVE Award) seeks to honor outstanding individual contributions in the discovery of unrecorded inscriptions, the interpretation of inscriptions from new perspectives, the dissemination of their knowledge through traditional and digital mediums, and the preservation of epigraphic resources for future generations.  

The nominees can be professionals in the field of epigraphy, independent researchers, or enthusiasts with a substantial body of work in advancing epigraphy in India. Collective entities such as societies, trusts, Section 8 companies, and other interest groups are ineligible for this award.

The Award is based on a nomination and selection process. The Award consists of a citation and a prize of Rs. 50000/- 

Dr. Y Subbarayalu, one of India’s eminent Epigraphers and Historians, received the inaugural V Venkayya Epigraphy Award in 2022. Dr P V Krishnamurthy (Dr PVK), one of the foremost Kannada Epigraphers, was conferred the second V Venkayya Epigraphy Award in 2023. Dr V. Vedachalam, one of the best-known Tamil Epigraphers, received the third V Venkayya Epigraphy Award in 2024. 

(Rai Bahadur) Shri V. Venkayya, born in 1864 in the lineage of the illustrious scholar Appaya Dikshita of the 16th century, was one of the pioneering epigraphists of India. His contribution to understanding the inscriptions of Pallavas, starting with Mamallapuram and Cholas with the Brahadeeswara Temple, broke new ground in the field of Epigraphy in India. He also deciphered the writing (legends) on coins. 

A chance meeting with Dr. E. Hultzsch, the famous German Indologist and ASI’s first Chief Epigraphist, at Mamallapuram, turned the obscure school teacher into an expert in epigraphy, who eventually became the first Indian Chief Epigraphist to the Government of India.  His stellar effort in unravelling, recording and deciphering hundreds of lithic and copper-plate inscriptions of Pallavas, Cholas, Pandyas and others through publications like “South Indian Inscriptions” inspired many epigraphists and historians to record, reconstruct and write the history of South India in a new light with clarity and scholarship. 

Nomination Process

1. Any individual can nominate another or self-nominate for noteworthy contributions to epigraphy.
2. Only one nomination per individual is allowed.
3. Nominations from 2023 and 2024, if not awarded, will automatically be considered this year.  No re-nomination needed.
4. Nominees must be Indian citizens residing in India.
5. Email nominations to awards.tht@gmail.com by May 31, 2025.
6. No standard nomination form is required, but submissions must include: 
• Personal Details: Name, address, contact info, photograph, and brief biodata.
• Contribution Details: Summary of work in epigraphy, focusing on the past decade (in MS Word, PowerPoint, or PDF).
• Supporting Documents: Evidence like published papers, articles, website/blog links, talks, courses, or social media activity.
• Submissions must be in English.

Selection of Winner

A jury comprising experts from the field of Epigraphy, History and Heritage and members of the THT Award Committee will select the winner.   As a part of the selection process, the members of the jury may choose to have an interaction with the nominee in person or over the phone. 

Award Ceremony & Award Lecture

The V Venkayya Epigraphy Award will be presented at a formal function on July 19, 2025 (Saturday) in Chennai. 

The winner will be invited to deliver an Award Lecture on a topic of their choice and is requested to submit the manuscript for publication at least a week before the function. The lecture is preferably to be in 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.

Nominations not considered for the award in the years 2023 & 2024 need not be sent again this year. Those nominations will be automatically considered for the award this year 

  

What is the Last Date for Nomination?

The last date for the Nomination to reach THT is May 31, 2025. 

What are the criteria for selection?

The judges will look for, among other qualities and parameters:

• New epigraphical 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 dialogue
• Consistency and persistence of the effort 

In what language should the Nomination be submitted? 

Nominations can be sent in English only. 

Is there an Entry Fee? 

No, there is no fee involved. 

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 Function?

The function will be held on July 19, 2025, at Arkay Convention Centre, Chennai, at 5:30 p.m. 

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, in English, on a topic of her/his choice. 

Terms + Conditions of Entry

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

For any clarifications, please mail us at: awards.tht@gmail.com 

Phone: Ravishankar: 9500074247

Uyirēḻuttu System of Numeration Used in Tamil Astronomy Texts. May 3, 2025

A majority of source texts of Indian mathematics and astronomy are written in the verse format. Hence, they and even their prose commentaries, make use of a variety of numeration systems in which linguistic phrases—syllables, words, or set of sounds—are employed to represent arbitrary numerical values. The bhūta-saṅkhyā, Āryabhaṭīya, and kaṭapayādi systems of numeration are well known and have been discussed in many scholarly and popular books and articles. In their Talk for THT, Dr V Ramanathan of IIT-BHU, Dr Venketeswara Pai of IISER Pune and Prof M D Srinivas of CPS, Chennai examine a less-known but significant system developed within the Tamil Astronomy tradition. They discuss the 12th–13th century astronomical work Cūḍāmaṇi Uḷḷamuḍaiyān by Tirukkoṭṭiyūr Nambi, which uses a vowel-based numeration scheme (uyirēḻuttu) to encode arbitrary numbers by a method that is significantly distinct from systems mentioned above. In particular, they explain its use in encoding lunar longitudes and its application in the formulation of the 248 Candravākyas (sometimes referred to as the Pañcāṅgavākyas) in Tamil. Their online talk in English titled "Uyirēḻuttu: A System of Numeration Used in Tamil Astronomy Texts" is at 5.30 pm IST on Saturday, May 3, 2025. About the Speakers: Dr. V. Ramanathan is a physical chemist in the Department of Chemistry at IIT(BHU) Varanasi and heading the IKS Center of the institute. He carried out his post-doctoral research works in University of Stuttgart in Germany, University of Basel in Switzerland and Seoul National University in South Korea. He obtained his PhD from IIT Kanpur, India. His areas of current academic research are Raman imaging and spectroscopy, SERS and computational chemistry. His other research interest lies in studying the scientific heritage of India. He is a Fulbright scholar and a former core committee member of Indian National Young Academy of Science (a body of Indian National Science Academy (INSA). Dr. Venketeswara Pai is a renowned scholar in the field of Indian mathematics and astronomy, with expertise in Sanskrit scientific literature, manuscript studies, and traditional knowledge systems. As a faculty member at IISER Pune, he has made significant contributions to the study of historical mathematical texts, their interpretations, and their relevance within the broader framework of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS). He has done extensive research on Indian astronomical treatise making use of his strong background in philology and mathematical analysis and computation. Dr. Pai has authored numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and books, receiving prestigious awards for his research in Indian astronomy and mathematics. Prof. M. D Srinivas is Chairman of Centre for Policy Studies at Chennai, a Research institute which he founded along with Dr. J. K. Bajaj and a few colleagues with the objective of comprehending India from an Indian perspective. After completing his PhD in University of Rochester, New York, USA, Srinivas taught at the Department of Theoretical Physics, University of Madras during 1976-1996. His areas of interest are: Conceptual and mathematical foundations of quantum mechanics; Indian scientific tradition, especially Indian mathematics and astronomy; and Society, polity and economy of India in the Eighteenth century. He has published significant works in all these fields. He was selected a Fellow of Indian National Science Academy in 2023 for his work on History and Philosophy of Science. His name has been included among the list of Padma Shri awardees this year.

Sir M Visvesvaraya by Aparajith Ramnath with R Gopu & Ashwin Prabhu. April 5, 2025

Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya (1861–1962) was arguably the most famous Indian engineer of the twentieth century. But he was also much more. His legacies as public administrator, constitutional analyst, and development thinker continue to shape life in India. They include innovations in irrigation, multipurpose dams, and piped water supply systems, technical institutions, industrial enterprises, and transformed cityscapes. In his new book, Engineering a Nation, Aparajith Ramnath provides a vivid portrait of Visvesvaraya’s eight-decade-long public career, based on in-depth archival research, field visits, and interviews. To explore Visvesvaraya’s life, he argues, is to explore afresh the emergence of the Indian nation itself. For THT's monthly talk titled Sir M Visvesvaraya: The Quest to Engneer a Nation, Aparajith Ramnath will be in conversation with R Gopu and Ashwin Prabhu where they will examine issues like: How do we assess Visveswaraya's technical achievements against those of his professional contemporaries? What were the intellectual and professional influences that shaped him? In what ways did his background as an engineer mould his conception of economic development? The online Talk in English is at 5.30 pm IST on Saturday, April 5, 2025. About the Speakers: Aparajith Ramnath is a historian of science, technology and business. He is the author of two books—Engineering a Nation: The life and career of M. Visvesvaraya (1861–1962) (Penguin/Viking, 2024) and The Birth of an Indian Profession: Engineers, Industry, and the State, 1900-47 (Oxford University Press, 2017). He is an associate professor in the School of Arts and Sciences, Ahmedabad University. Aparajith was educated at BITS Pilani, Oxford University, and Imperial College London. He has been an International Scholar of the Society for the History of Technology, a Liverpool India Fellow, a Sangam House Writing Fellow, and a recipient of the Young Historian of Science Award (2018) from the Indian National Science Academy. In addition to his scholarly work, he has written articles on history for various news outlets. R. Gopu was conferred the Vedavalli Heritage Award for his contributions to culture. He speaks, writes and blogs about history, temple architecture, science, technology and much more. He is a co-founder of the Varahamihira Science Forum. He conducts classes on topics such as Indian Astronomy and Mathematics and Pallava Grantha script. Ashwin Prabhu’s meanderings have taken him to the worlds of banking, teaching, heritage education, writing and development sector work. His first book, “Classroom With A View - Notes from the Krishnamurti schools”, came out in 2022. He enjoys working with teachers and children in thematic areas where philosophy, history, art and literature happily intersect.

On the morning of October 22, 1968, just before sunrise, the Abu Simbel rock-cut temple was the centre of anticipation. A large assembly of archaeologists, engineers, artisans, llabourers, and high-ranking officials from Egypt and other nations had gathered in front of the four colossal seated statues of Ramses II, each standing 21 meters tall. The air was thick with a mix of emotions—anticipation, apprehension, nervousness, and a sense of resignation. As the sun began to rise, it gently illuminated three of the divine figures in the inner sanctum, as it had done for more than 3200 years. Tears filled the eyes of everyone present. An immense but meticulous international effort involving 50 countries had successfully saved and perfectly relocated the Abu Simbel rock-cut temple, the crown jewel among ancient Egyptian-Nubian architectural wonders, from permanent submersion in Lake Nasser of the Aswan High Dam. In his Talk “The World Saves Abu Simbel: How a Multi-Nation Team Relocated an Entire 3000-year old Temple”, T Ravishankar will focus on how the temple was saved through improbable international efforts at the height of the Cold War. He will also provide a brief account of the dynasties of Ancient Egypt, a few important gods, and the great Abu Simbel itself. The online Talk in English is at 5.30 pm IST on Saturday, March 1, 2025. About the Speaker: T Ravishankar, a Chartered Accountant, retired as the General Manager of the Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC). His career took him to Guwahati and Hyderabad, before he eventually returned to Chennai. During his tenure, he led various departments, including Accounts, Loan Processing, Risk Management, and IT. Passionate about heritage, he worked with the late Dr. V.K. Bawa, IAS (Retd) from the Centre for Deccan Studies and Friends of Golconda, Hyderabad. An active volunteer with the Tamil Heritage Trust (THT) for over a decade, he organized THT’s monthly talks and the Pechu Kacheri series for two years each, as well as the V. Venkayya Epigraphy Award for three years. Trained as a 'Mallai Docent,' he also instructed the latest group of docents. His interests span from the Puranas to India's syncretic traditions. He has delivered talks on Dr U. Ve. Swaminatha Iyer, Islamic Architecture of India, Stepwells of Gujarat, Literature of Hoysalas, Inscriptions of the Calukyas of Badami, Inscriptions of Kanchi, Kanheri caves, and the Jain sculptures of Kalugumalai at various THT forums. Egypt has fascinated him since childhood. He fondly remembers writing about the Rosetta Stone in a manuscript magazine run by his younger brother and dreamt of becoming an archaeologist, engrossed in endless accounts of breathtaking discoveries. A few months ago, he served as a docent on his first trip to Egypt, guiding a group of heritage tourists from Chennai and abroad. Currently, he is teaching himself Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Prof BN Jagatap. Ancient Indian Education Systems: An Exploration in the Backdrop of Modern Concepts

Ancient Indian education is often associated with the Gurukul system, which persisted until the introduction of English education. While much focus is placed on its structure, the pedagogical aspects are less explored. In his talk, "Ancient Indian Education Systems: An Exploration in the Backdrop of Modern Concepts," Prof. B. N. Jagatap, formerly of IIT Bombay and a Distinguished Scientist at BARC, delves into the teaching methods of ancient India, drawing connections with contemporary educational thought. He incorporates insights from ancient texts and the 12th-century Tamil grammar work Nannool, authored by Jain monk Pavananthi Munivar. The online Talk in English is at 5.30 pm IST on Saturday, February 1, 2025. About the Speaker: Prof. B N Jagatap was formerly Distinguished Scientist & Director, Chemistry Group of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai and Senior Professor at the Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. Currently, he is the Director of Uniphos Environtronics Pvt Ltd, a UPL group of Company and co-founding director of Srujan Educational Consultancy LLP. Prof. Jagatap is the Chairman of the Governing Council of the S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (Kolkata) and worked as the Chairman of the Research Council of the National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (New Delhi). He is the Chairman of the Steering Committee of SVASTIK, the national initiative on Communicating Scientifically Validated Traditional Indian Knowledge to Society. He is also the Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the National Innovation Foundation. Currently he is the President of the Indian Nuclear Society.