Lok Sabha Question No. 456 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-05
Subject: Digital Mapping of Ancient Sites
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Dr. T. Sumathy (a) Thamizhachi Thangapandian

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CULTURE LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 456 ANSWERED ON 05.02.2024

## DIGITAL MAPPING OF ANCIENT SITES

## 456. DR. T. SUMATHY (a) THAMIZHACHI THANGAPANDIAN:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:-

- (a) whether the Archaeological Survey of India has made any recent archaeological exploration expedition to identify and record ancient Tamil medieval inscriptions, prehistoric rock paintings, rock engravings in the country;
- the steps taken by the Government for the digital mapping of ancient sites having ancient Tamil Brahmi inscriptions, Archaic rock paintings and rock engravings and the funds allocated to the same;
- b) if so, the details thereof and the important findings made during the last nine years, Circle-wise particularly from Tamil Nadu;
- (d) the measures taken by the Government to excavate the archaic sites in Tamil Nadu to to light the archaeological evidences corresponding to the Ancient Tamil Sangam flourished 2000 years ago; and bring
- (e) the effective steps taken by the Government to catalogue and publish the early historical inscriptions,  Numismatics and other   important   archaeological discoveries made in Tamil Nadu?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF CULTURE, TOURISM AND DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION

## (SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

- (a) has undertaken to survey  and exploration across the country to search and document the archaeological  remains; which includes temples, mosques, rock cut caves, stupas, inscriptions, megaliths, sculptures, etc. village village
- ASI in  technical collaboration with  Bhaskaracharya Institute   for  Space  Applications and Geoinformatics (BISAG) has launched a mobile application Indian Heritage' in  September; 2023 containing information on protected monuments and protected areas with textual content and aided by interactive digital maps. The phase that has been  launched incorporates 143 ticketed monuments with the ASL
- b) The details are at Annexure-I.
- (d) During last three years; the ASI has conducted excavations in the state of Tamil Nadu and Central Government has   granted approval to the State Department of Archaeology; Universities and Research Institutions for conducting excavations in Tamil Nadu: The details are at Annexure-II:
- (e The ASL   publishes the early historical inscriptions; Numismatics and other important archaeological discoveries yearly in departmental publications namely (i) Indian Archaeology A Review, (ii) Annual Report on Indian Epigraphy, and South Indian Inscriptions Volume .

## ANNEXURE REFERED TO IN REPLY TO PART (b) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 456 FOR 05.02.2024

## DETAILS OF FINDINGS DURING THE LAST NINE YEARS

| No.   | Name of Circlel Branch   |   Number of sites explored (last 9 years | Important findings                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|-------|--------------------------|------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [     | Epigraphy Branch; Mysore |                                       23 | 1. Kongu Chola inscription, Karappadi; District Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 2 Tamil inscription, Karappadi, District Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 3_ Tamil inscription Kovuru, District Nellore; Andhra Pradesh 4 Chola inscription, Lalgudi, District Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu 5 Three Vatteluttu inscriptions, Irukkandurai, District Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu 6_ Chola inscription, Purattur, District Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu 7_ Three Chola inscriptions, Lalgudi, District Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu 8_ Pandya inscriptions; Avudaiyarkovil, District Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu 9 Pandya inscription, Tulaiyanur; District Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu 10. Pandya inscriptions, Melanettur; District Sivagangai; Tamil Nadu 11. Chola inscription, Pudumavilangai, District Tiruvallur; Tamil Nadu 12. Pandya inscription, Kilaikkurichchi, District Pudukkottai; Tamil Nadu inscription, Devasdanam (Pettaivaitalai) , District Tirchirappalli; Tamil Nadu 14. Hero stone inscription, Sorakulathur; District Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu 15. Vatteluttu inscription, Zameen Ilandaikulam, District Tirunelveli; Tamil Nadu 16. A hero stone inscription Melur; District Tiruchirappalli; Tamil Nadu 17.A Vatteluttu inscription; Pichchampatti, District Tiruchirappalli; Tamil Nadu 18. A Chola inscription; Kankotuthavanidam, District Tiruvarur; Tamil Nadu 19.A Pandya inscription, Sittakulam, District Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu |

|    |                              |     | 20. Two Brahmi inscriptions, Keeladi; District Sivagangai, Tamil Nadu 21. A Brahmi inscription,  Nettarambakkam; District Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu 22. Inscription of Rajendra I, Bikshandarkovil District Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu 23. Inscription of Rajendra [, Tirukkolakkudi, District Sivagangai, Tamil Nadu                                                                                                   |
|----|------------------------------|-----|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2  | Epigraphy Branch; Nagpur     | 241 | Persian and Arabic inscriptions recovered from Andhra Pradesh; Uttar Pradesh; Gujarat; Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu; Madhya Pradesh; West Bengal, Telangana,Chhatisgarh, Kerala, Pondicherry; Rajasthan; Odisha; Haryana; Punjab, Bihar; Delhi                                                                                                                                                                   |
| 3_ | Prehistory Branch; Nagpur    |     | Megalithic burials, Paleolithic tools, Neolithic polished celts, adzes, chisel, fossils, rock engravings                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 4  | Excavation Branch V Vadodara | 32  | Temples, structural remains, microliths, 500 burials                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|    | Aizawl Circle                | 2   | Rock cut -crop with carvings and cup marks, Wangchai.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| 6_ | Amaravati Circle             | 57  | Engraved stone slabs with Telegu inscriptions; sculptures; human; animal and anthropomorphic engravings in temple boundary walls, remains of temples; carved mandapas, hero stones with megalithic burial, habitational cave with animal paintings and other unidentified cave with inscriptions, remains of votive stupas, remains of mud  fortifications, architectural  fragments, remains of colonial architecture |
| 7_ | Bangalore Circle             | 323 | Inscribed stones and pillars, inscribed and uninscribed hero stones; memorial stones; sati stones,  sculptural fragments, mandapa, architectural members                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 8  | Chandigarh Circle            | 2   | Prehistoric   rock engraving; rock   paintings and cup marks                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| 9_ | Chennai Circle               | 358 | Natural cave with paintings, Tamil inscription, temple, cist burials, cairn circles; hero stones, sculptures                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| 10 | Dharwad Circle               | 3   | Rock engraving and rock paintings                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |

Contd\_

-3 -

| 11   | Guwahati Circle                      | 72   | Menhirs with table stones, dolmens, petroglyph having description of animal and human; Sivlinga inside a rock shelter; carved elephant; ancient   pond; architectural members; large yonipeethal pranala                                                                                                                                                                                           |
|------|--------------------------------------|------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 12   | Jaipur Circle                        | 327  | Remains of Tombs, temples and other structural remains                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| 13_  | Jabalpur Circle                      |      | Temple   remains,  inscriptions, rock sculptures__coins etc.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| 14.  | Nagpur Circle                        |      | Megalithic stone circle                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| 15.  | Ranchi Circle                        | 108  | Megalith; rock painting; sculptures and structural remains                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| 16.  | Shimla Circle                        | 670  | Temple remains, sculptures and mosque                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| 17.  | Trichy Circle                        |      | Rock painting                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| 18.  | Trissur Circle                       |      | heritage buildings, megaliths, mosque; churches, sculptures; leaflmanuscripts palm                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 19_  | Raipur Circle                        | 679  | Sculptures, Shivlinga; microliths, Sati pillars, remains of forts and ancient gateway along with fragmented sculptures of Hindu vicinity of fort; mud fortification; ancient brick remains, ancient brick temple, microliths consisting of blades, scrapers, points, lunet; remnants of ancient mud fort  surrounded by a moat on all sides, stone polisher; skin rubber; megalithic menhirs deity |
| 20_  | Temple Survey Project (North Region) | 8    | Survey and documentation of temples, ruins of forts                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| 21.  | Temple Survey Project (South Region) | 232  | Structural temple of the Pallavas, Kakatiyas;  the Kongu Region; surveyl exploration of lesser known unprotected historically important temples in Tamil Nadu.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (d) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.456 FOR 05.02.2024

- [ The Archaeological Survey of India has conducted excavations in Tamil Nadu during the last three years:
2. The Archaeological Survey of India has granted approval to State Department of Nadu during last three years.

| SL: No.   | Year    | Name of the Site                                                                                                                                                | Name of Office   |
|-----------|---------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------|
| 1         | 2021-22 | Vadakkupattu_district Chengalpattu_Tamil Nadu                                                                                                                   | Chennai Circle   |
| 2_        | 2021-22 | Adichnallur and its   associated Sites in   Tamirabarani River                                                                                                  | Trichy Circle    |
| 3_        | 2022-23 | Vedakkupattu   (Guruvanmedu), district Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu                                                                                                  | Chennai Circle   |
| 4         | 2022-23 | Adichanallur Habitation Mound and its cluster of Habitation mounds (Kalvoi, Karungulam; Kongarayakurich, Agaram and Tirukolur) district Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu | Trichy Circle    |

| SL: No.   | Year    | Name of the Site                                                                | Name of Office                                       |
|-----------|---------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|
| 1         | 2021-22 | Keeladi and cluster; District Sivagangai, Tamil Nadu its                        | Department of  Archaeology, Government of Tamil Nadu |
| 2         | 2021-22 | Sivagalai and its  cluster; District  Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu                   | Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamil Nadu  |
| 3         | 2021-22 | Vembakottai, District Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu                                  | Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamil Nadu  |
| 4         | 2021-22 | Thulakkarpatti, District Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu                                | Department of  Archaeology, Government of Tamil Nadu |
| 5_        | 2021-22 |                                                                                 | Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamil Nadu  |
| 6_        | 2021-22 | Gangaikondacholapuram- Maligaimedu, District Ariyalur; Tamil Nadu               | Department Government of Tamil Nadu                  |
| 7         | 2021-22 | Mayiladumparai; District Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu                                | Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamil Nadu  |
| 8         | 2021-22 | Ellantakarai and its surroundings; District Sivaganga,_Tamil Nadu               | Alagappa University, Tamil Nadu                      |
| 9         | 2021-22 | Nagapattinam; district Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu                                 | Tamil University, Tamil Nadu                         |
| 10        | 2021-22 | Nerumbur; taluk Tirukalukundram; district Chengalpattu;_Tamil_Nadu              | University of Madras, Tamil Nadu                     |
|           | 2022-23 | Keeladi and its clusters like Kondagai, Agaram, District Sivagangai, Tamil Nadu | Department of  Archaeology; Government of Tamil Nadu |
| 12_       | 2022-23 | Gangaikondacholapuram- Maligaimedu; District Ariyalur; Tamil Nadu               | Department of  Archaeology, Government of Tamil Nadu |

Contd .

| 13   | 2022-23   | Vembakottai, District Virudhunagar; Tamil Nadu                           | Department Government of Tamil Nadu                 |
|------|-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
| 14   | 2022-23   | Thulakkarpatti, District Tirunelveli; Tamil Nadu                         | Department of Government of Tamil Nadu              |
| 15_  | 2022-23   | Kilnamandi, District Thiruvannamal, Tamil Nadu                           | Department of Archaeology Government of Tamil Nadu  |
| 16 . | 2022-23   | Porpanaikottai; District Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu                         | Department of Archaeology Government of Tamil Nadu  |
| 17.  | 2022-23   | Boothinatham; District Dharmapuri; Tamil Nadu                            | Department Government of Tamil Nadu                 |
| 18.  | 2022-23   | Pattaraiperumbudur; District Tiruvallur; Tamil Nadu                      | Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamil Nadu |
| 19_  | 2023-24   | Chettimedu Pathur; Taluk Madurantakam; District Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu | University of Madras, Tamil Nadu                    |