Continuities in Maratha Architecture by Pushkar Sohoni. Saturday, Sep 6, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Kenneth X Robbins and Sqdn Ldr (Retd) Rana Chhina. India Jewish Heritage Trail. Aug 2, 2025
Dr Shrinivas V. Padigar - Winner of the V Venkayya Epigraphy Award for 2025.
The one-of-a-kind award was instituted by Smt. Sunitha Madhavan, 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, in 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 recipient was selected by a jury consisting of experts in epigraphy, history, archaeology, and heritage.
Dr Padigar will receive the Award on Saturday, July 26, 2025, at an Award function from the Chief Guest of the occasion, Dr T.S. Ravishankar, Director – Epigraphy (Retd), Archaeological Survey of India, Mysuru. He will also deliver the Award Lecture on "Beyond the Texts: Insights from Early Chalukya Inscriptions”.
Do join us at 6.00 pm IST on Saturday, July 26th, 2025, for this event at Arkay Convention Centre, Mylapore, Chennai 600004.
Dr. Shrinivas V. Padigar is a distinguished historian, epigraphist, and archaeologist whose scholarship has profoundly shaped the understanding of India’s early historical and cultural narratives, especially the Kannada region. Currently the Director (Academic and Research) at The Mythic Society, Bengaluru, he has had an illustrious academic career spanning over three decades, primarily at Karnatak University, Dharwad, where he rose to become Professor and Chairman of the Department of Ancient Indian History and Epigraphy.
A gold medalist and Ph.D. from Karnatak University (1985), Dr. Padigar has held several prestigious fellowships, including the Infosys Foundation Karnataka Chair at BORI, Pune, a Senior Academic Fellowship from the ICHR, and a Charles Wallace Fellowship in the UK. He has also served as a visiting fellow at institutions like Deccan College and the University of Edinburgh.
His scholarly contributions are extensive and interdisciplinary, encompassing epigraphy, art history, archaeology, numismatics, and religious studies. He has reexamined, edited, and critically reinterpreted over 400 inscriptions, especially from the Early Chalukya period. The result was his magnum opus Inscriptions of the Calukyas of Badami (2010).
His research has shed new light on the Saiva and Vaishnava traditions, educational institutions, temple architecture, and sculptural iconography in the Deccan, often drawing on inscriptional and archaeological evidence.
Apart from Inscriptions of the Calukyas of Badami, his significant publications are Vishnu Cult in Karnataka (1996), alongside several works in Kannada such as "Puratattvashastra Parichaya" and numerous edited volumes such as Pratnakirti and New Facets of Indian Art. His writings explore themes from narrative sculpture—like the Panchatantra and Jataka depictions—to socio-religious practices and artisanal histories.
He has supervised 13 doctoral theses, delivered invited lectures across India, and presided over national academic conferences. In recognition of his pioneering work, he has received the Rajarshi Dr. Veerendra Heggade Award (2023) and the Dr. B.R. Gopal Epigraphist’s Award (2016).
With a rare blend of methodological precision and visionary insight, Dr. Padigar remains a leading voice in the fields of Indian epigraphy and ancient cultural studies—an enduring influence and a most deserving winner of the V. Venkayya Epigraphy Award, 2025.
Inviting nominations for the THT-Prof S Swaminathan Heritage Award 2025
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.
As a lover of Indian heritage, you will have come across someone who is doing great work in this area. He or she may be contributing in one or more of the following ways:
a. Preserving our heritage - through conservation, documentation etc.,
b. Disseminating knowledge and information about our heritage - through writing books, articles, blog posts, giving lectures, conducting heritage walks etc.
c. Deepening our understanding of our heritage through academic research, field work, etc.,
In 2020, Tamil Heritage Trust instituted the THT-Prof S Swaminathan Heritage Award to recognise the contributions of such "heritage heroes".
If you know someone who you believe should be considered for such a recognition, we invite you to nominate them for the Award.
How to nominate:
1. Any individual can nominate any other individual.
2. Individuals can also nominate themselves.
3. Nominee's age should be between 20 and 50 years as of Aug 25, 2025.
4. The individual must be a citizen of India and ordinarily resident in India.
5. Nominations must be submitted through this online form and should reach us before August 25th, 2025.
6. Nominations and accompanying details may be in English or Tamil only.
7. Nominations that were not considered for the Award in previous years can be sent again this year with up-to-date information.
The last date for receiving nominations is August 25th, 2025.
Please note that we will be including nominations that were received last year for consideration for this year’s award. If you have nominated someone the last year and would like to update your nomination please use the nomination form to submit any additional information.
We look forward to hearing from you soon.
For any clarifications, please send a mail to admin@tamilheritage.in or ashwin.prabhu@gmail.com
Yamini Telkar. "Echoes of Ajanta: Tracing its Influence on Modern Art in India". July 5, 2025
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
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
- Any individual can nominate another or self-nominate for noteworthy contributions to epigraphy.
- Only one nomination per individual is allowed.
- Nominations from 2023 and 2024, if not awarded, will automatically be considered this year. No re-nomination needed.
- Nominees must be Indian citizens residing in India.
- Email nominations to awards.tht@gmail.com by May 31, 2025.
- 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