Home | Biodata | Biography | Photo Gallery | Publications | Tributes

Epigraphy

Gift Siromoney was the Socrates of Tamil-Brahmi studies. He took nothing for granted, held no authority in reverence and went on relentlessly asking searching questions which in my view have shed more light than the ex-cathedra pronouncements by eminent professional epigraphists. I have been greatly influenced by the questions raised by him on the origin of the Brahmi script (1977), the origin of the Tamil Script (1982) and the orthographical evolution and chronological classification of the Tamil-Brahmi script (1983). I have already attempted to answer some of his questions in my recent papers (1985,1990) and, in the course of doing so, modified some of my earlier suggestions. In the present paper, which I affectionately dedicate to his memory, I propose to deal with the occurrence of the Pulli in the Tamil-Brahmi script in response to his questions on this problem (1978 a,1978 b)

- Iravatham Mahadevan, "Occurrence of the pulli in the Tamil-Brahmi script", Indological Essays Commemorative Volume II For Gift Siromoney, edited by Michael Lockwood, Madras Christian College, 1992, p.141.


Reminiscences of how my interest in epigraphy was kindled by Dr. Gift Siromoney
Emmanuel Jebarajan, Department of Mathematics, American College, Madurai.

I never knew Dr.Gift Siromoney's interest in epigraphy until I saw one of his cyclostyled books on epigraphy. It was a new learning experience to learn the old Tamil writings as he and his team meticulously wrote the whole of Tirukkural as it would have been written through the centuries. Later it came out as a book. When I joined the American College, I took a group of undergraduate students to see the inscriptions at Yanai Malai, and we copied the inscriptions as they appeared on the rough rock and sent to Dr. Siromoney. One of the letters had a 'pulli'  the consonant marker in Tamil and we did not know that it was a great discovery which made us great pullis (that's how another great epigraphist called us when we presented this discovery in an epigraphical conference). It was Dr.Siromoney who recognized this new find, and our joy knew no bounds, when he caught the next train to Madurai to see it himsel !. This small finding helped many epigraphists to search for 'pulli' in Brahmi inscriptions in other sites in Tamil Nadu, and many new inscriptions with 'pulli' were found, hitherto unnoticed and it settled the debate about the time of the writing of the Tamil grammar text 'Tolkappiam'. Our enthusiasm grew because of this find, and it paved the way for us to search for new Brahmi inscriptions. We are proud that we had the distinction of finding three new sites, which threw more light on these inscriptions, and related areas of interest. Every time we found a new inscription, we used to give a telegram to Dr.Siromoney, and he would immediately arrive at Madurai, we would visit the site with lot of enthusiasm, and then would present a paper in an epigraphical conference. This sequence went on for years, and we still cherish this academic pursuit, which started in a simple way!

-Emmanuel Jebarajan
 

Publications

  1. New inscriptions from the Tambaram area
    The Sunday Standard, Madras, February 4, 1973 (with Lockwood, M.)   READ
  2. Newly discovered Tamil inscriptions from the Tambaram area
    MCC Mag, Vol. XLII, 1973   READ
  3. More inscriptions from the Tambaram area
    MCC Mag, Vol XLIV, 1975   READ
  4. Pandya epigraphs near Tambaram
    Indian Express, March 21, 1975   READ
  5. Computer techniques of image enhancement in the study of a Pallava Grantha Inscription
    Studies in Indian Epigraphy, Journal of the Epigraphical Society of India, Vol 2, pp. 55-56, 1975, STAT-22/75, September 1975   READ
  6. Kalvettu Ezhuthukkalil Thirukkural, October 1975 (with Chandrasekaran, M., Govindaraju S, and Chandrasekaran, R.)  
  7. Vattezhuthil Thirukkural (mimeo), 1976 (with Govindaraju, S. Chandrasekaran, M. and Chandrasekaran, R.)  
  8. Computer methods of dating medieval Tamil inscriptions
    STAT-26/76,  paper presented at the Third Annual Congress of the Epigraphical Society of India at Udupi, March 1978 (with Chandrasekaran, M. and Chandrasekaran, R.)  
  9. The invention of the Brahmi script
    MCC Mag.,Vol.  XLVI, 1977, pp.31-33, STAT- 30/77, also in,
     Souvenir of the Fourth Annual Congress of the Epigraphical Society of India, 1977, pp.42 - 50,  also in, Indological Essays, Commemorative Volume II for Gift Siromoney, edited by Michael Lockwood, Madras Christian College, 1992, pp.219-223   READ
  10. Computer recognition of an ancient common Indian Script
    Paper presented at the Symposium on the use of Indian Languages in Computer based Information Systems, New Delhi, April 1978, STAT-36/78, March 1978  
  11. The pulli in early Tamil epigraphs
    The Sunday Standard, Madras, February 19, 1978    READ
  12. On the occurrence of the pulli in the Tamil-Brahmi inscription of Anaimalai
    New dimensions in the study of Tamil Culture, 60th Birthday Felicitation Volume of Prof. V. Vanamamalai, Palayamkottai, 1978, pp.7-12, 
    STAT-34/78, January 1978
    A paper presented at the Fourth Annual Congress of the Epigraphical Society of India at Madras, January 1978.
    (with Emmanuel Jebarajan)  READ
  13. A new Tamil-Brahmi inscription from Vikramangalam
    STAT 37/78, July 1978; also, The Sunday Standard, Madras, August 13, 1978 (with Emmanuel Jebarajan)   READ
  14. Computer recognition of an ancient Tamil script of the Chola period
    Journal of the Epigraphical Society of India, Vo. 6, pp 18-19, 1978, (with Chandrasekaran, M. and Chandrasekaran, R.)  READ
  15. Another new Tamil-Brahmi inscription
    The Sunday Standard, Madras, March 11, 1979 (with Emmanuel Jebarajan)   READ
  16. A new Tamil-Brahmi inscription
    Manuscript (with Emmanuel Jebarajan)   READ
  17. A Tamil-Brahmi inscription from Madurai region
    STAT-44/80, also in, Indological Essays Commemorative Volume II for Gift Siromoney,  edited by Michael Lockwood, Madras Christian College, 1992, pp. 228-235 (with Emmanuel Jebarajan)   READ
  18. A Learner's Guide to Ancient Scripts
    Department of Statistics, Madras Christian College, Tambaram, 1980 (with Govindaraju, S. and Chandrasekaran, M.)  
  19. Computer methods of dating Tamil inscriptions
    STAT-43/80, also, Proceedings of Fifth International Tamil Conference held at Madurai, January 1981, pp. 2.7-2.13, and The Hindu, Friday, January 9, 1981 (with Chandrasekaran, M. and Chandrasekaran, R.)  
  20. The origin of the Tamil script
    Tamil Studies, Vol.2, pp. 8-23, 1982, also,  manuscript   READ
  21. Origin of the Tamil-Brahmi script
    In 'Origin Evolution and Reform of the Tamil Script', The Institute of Traditional Cultures, Madras University, 1983  also, manuscript READ
  22. Reform of the Tamil Script
     The Institute of Traditional Cultures, Madras University, 1983 READ
  23. Sangakala kathai sollum vandalur kalvattangal
    Dinamalar, January 27, 1983   READ
  24. Computer dating of medieval inscriptions: South Indian Tamil
    Computer and the Humanities, Vol. 17, 1983, pp. 199-208 (with Chandrasekaran, M. and Chandrasekaran, R.)  READ
  25. Developing an expert system for Indian Epigraphy
    (with Chandrasekaran R and Suresh D) 1985   READ
  26. A new Chola inscription from Pammal near Madras
    The Hindu, Friday, May 15, 1987 READ
  27. A new Chola inscription from Pammal near Madras
    A paper presented at the Thirteenth Annual Congress of the Epigraphical Society of India held at Patna in April, 1987 STAT 63/87, May 1987 (mimeo).
  28. An outline of Tamil orthography.
    Madras Christian College (Manuscript). 
  29. Inscription copying by photo flash.
    Madras Christian College (Manuscript) (with Michael Lockwood).  
Go to the top of the page
Home | Biodata | Biography | Photo Gallery | Publications | Tributes