revisiting history on rocky hills of Madurai

Just earlier than the pandemic struck, Ahil Rishi Rajasekaran was birdwatching at Usilampatti when some locals contained in the forest space talked about Chithirikal podavu (cave with work).  Little did the 20-year-old pupil of The American College realise then that the distinctive motifs would make him embark on a journey of discovering rock artwork in and round his hometown, Madurai.

Between 2020 and now, Ahil Rishi, alongside along with his mates Hariharan, Praveen and Paul Moses, explored a treasure trove of 16 rock artwork websites with such ardour that the Thanjavur-based Nerunji Literary Movement has now printed their documentation of the rock artwork kinds. There are a number of publications in Tamil, however Rock Art of Madurai: The Pre-history of a Civilisation is the primary one in English.

Ahil Rishi, who has simply accomplished MSc (Microbiology) says there are no less than 25 rock artwork websites across the temple city and it’s his dream to element each discovering in order that they are often shielded from future quarrying and mining. “It is important to partner with local landowners to protect these cave sites, and the forests that surround them so that the cultural heritage and wildlife depicted in the drawings are preserved for future generations,” he says.

Cave work make an enchanting research
| Photo Credit: SOMA BASU

The faculty college students have been initially unaware of inscriptions on rocks. Then, they joined the trek to Samanar Malai Jain caves with Green Walk, a peoples’ initiative primarily based on the idea of trekking and touring heritage websites round Madurai to boost consciousness.

“After seeing the two-storey cave with multiple paintings at Usilampatti, this was the first time we saw in detail early paintings adorning cavernous walls and learnt about how rock art, the cultural and natural heritage, is a means of communication,” says Ahil Rishi. It additionally marked the start of a journey for the kids who’ve spent the final three years making a number of excursions to the hills of Madurai.

Rigorous climbs

“Most of the hills around Madurai are not vegetated, and at places like Yannai Malai and Tiruparankundram, it is a gigantic single piece of stone. Many places were laborious climbs but it did not kill our curiosity or excitement to explore,” says Ahil Rishi, who has authored the e book.

Fascinating rock artwork: At Usilampatti
| Photo Credit: SOMA BASU

The boys made a number of visits to Kidaripatti, Azhagar Malai, Karungalakudi, Keelavalavu, Puthurmalai, Kongar Puliyankulam, Thiruvadhavur, Devankurichi, Thummanaickenpatti, Melakuyilkudi, Vikramangalam, Anaipatti, Peraiyur, Keezhapatti, Maanoothu, to {photograph} and video-record the graffiti, cupules, petroglyphs and pictograms. They sought assist from historians and archaeologists to analysis and determine the important thing parts of rock artwork kinds and themes.

While it has resulted in a complete primary stage research of each intra-and inter-site rock artwork and revelation of unique traits, Ahil Rishi rues that individuals of Madurai are unaware of the existence of such wealth. “Not even a single sign board states the presence of these sites. They are not easy to find and reach; we also found several limestone boulders with deep, ancient carvings,” he says.

Fascinating rock artwork: Bird confronted man in Azhagar Hills accomplished in purple ochre
| Photo Credit: SOMA BASU

What fascinated him additional was regardless of the space between the rock websites with differently-themed pictograms accomplished in purple ochre and white kaolin, some motifs have similarities in strokes and patterns indicating a connection between the cultural and communal zones of that interval.

Estimating the age of rock arts is difficult however researchers consider that the rock artwork of Madurai will not be lower than 5,000 years previous. The estimation relies on stylistic comparability and relative relationship methodology that analyses and compares the kinds of motifs depicted on the rocks, their location within the panorama and different recognisable traits to websites the place comparable datable info is out there, says Ahil Rishi.

Fascinating rock artwork: Pictograms of Kongar Puliyankulam
| Photo Credit: SOMA BASU

“Studies of the new finds will help to understand the purpose and meaning as several rock art motifs have also been found to be similar to Indus signs,” he says, including that the connection between what artwork portrays and what it symbolizes will be complicated.