The excavated materials include brick structures, industry-like furnaces, intricate jewellery and, most signi... Read More

CHENNAI: The significance of the Keezhadi excavation is that it has given archeological evidence for the existence of a secular civilization belonging to the Sangam era. But this characteristic, according to V Arasu, brought in a stumbling block to conduct further excavations there. “It’s part of a pseudo Hindutva ideology. What we found in Keeladi was a secular culture. If more excavations are conducted there, you will find more evidence that will definitely show the trace of a strong secular culture once existed in the southern region of India. The Modi government may not like the idea, that’s why the man who headed the excavation was transferred to another centre ,” said V Arasu, former HOD, department of Tamil literature , University of Madras .

Speaking on ‘Keezhadi and its potential impact on Indian history’ at IIT-M on Tuesday, he said, “If you look at the materials excavated from Keezhadi, you will know how it was once the centre of a civilized human habitation. The excavation was done only on a small stretch by the banks of river Vaigai. It’s high time more excavations are conducted on this stretch, but the Central government is not going to support it because they are against the secular culture,” he said. “The so-called Hindutva ideology is based on myths and vedic influence,” he added.

It was in 2014 that the ASI Bengaluru team, headed by K Amarnath Ramakrishna, began excavation on one-and-a-half-acres of the 80-acre site on the banks of River Vaigai, 13km from Madurai. Considered one of the most remarkable excavations conducted in the state so far, the team came up with a treasure trove, an ancient urban civilization, which they compare to Harappa. The excavated materials include brick structures, industry-like furnaces, intricate jewellery and, most significantly, pottery with Tamil Brahmi script. The team could compare the findings (pertaining to 300BC and 300AD) with some prominent Sangam-period literature, referring to Keeladi in that period.

Arasu said the state government “is not taking any concrete step to continue the excavation there.” “Our problem is that we stop the excavation when we find something remarkable at some site. This happened to Adichannalur where many urn-burials were excavated in 1905. This shows that there existed a big human habitation nearby. But we never tried to trace that. Our government stopped the excavation with the urn-burials. It’s tragedy,” he said.

