In a remarkable discovery, a palm leaf manuscripts of the Ramayana dating back 250 years have been found near Vaniyambadi for the first time. The discovery was made during a field survey led by Dr. K. Mohan Gandhi, a Professor of Tamil at Tirupathur Pure Heart College, alongside Kaninilam Munusamy, Siddha practitioner Srinivasan, and Dr. Kamini.
Dr. Mohan Gandhi explained how the find came about, “A third-year computer science student, Monish, mentioned that his grandmother had ancient manuscripts. This led us to Ezhil Ammaiyar, a retired teacher residing in Vanniya Adikalar Nagar near Chettiyappanur, Vaniyambadi. She showed us five bundles of manuscripts she had collected, which turned out to be Ramayana manuscripts.”
The manuscripts were meticulously examined, with the fifth bundle revealing intriguing details. The bundle contained 419 leaves, written on both sides, measuring approximately 1.36 feet in length and 0.13 feet in width. The pages feature 7 to 8 lines of text, with 49 to 52 characters per line. The title page of the manuscript reads “Virapadhamma Kavadan Penchathi Narasammal Ezhithinathu,” (விறப்பதம்ம கவடன் பெஞ்சாதி நரசம்மாள் எழிதினது) and the manuscript starts with the story of Rama and Lakshmana informing Ravana about the death of Thumba and Nithumba in battle.
Each leaf is marked with a Tamil numeral page number and the phrase “Nandraga” (Good) on the cover. The manuscripts show signs of aging, with slight damage, including some torn and stuck-together leaves. The writing style is believed to be at least 250 years old, with the last leaf containing a concluding note.
Before the use of modern paper, ancient Tamil literature was often inscribed on palm leaves. This discovery is significant as it illustrates that the Ramayana was circulating in Tamil Nadu through manuscript form up to 250 years ago. Professor Dr. V. Nedunchezhiyan from Tiruvannamalai, a retired principal, also assisted in reading and interpreting the manuscripts.
Dr. Gandhi emphasized the need for the district administration to preserve and document these ancient manuscripts, highlighting their cultural and historical value.
(With inputs from Kamadenu)
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