VATTEZHUTHU

 Source: TimesofIndia

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Context

• Members of the Virarajendran Archaeological and Historical Research Centre have discovered a Vattezhuthu (ancient Tamil script) and eight Tamil inscriptions from the 1,00-year-old Thalikiswarar temple at Kovilpalayam near Koduvai in Tirupur district.

 Details

About the temple

• Dedicated to Lord Shiva, it is a significant site for devotees and tourists alike due to its historical, architectural, and spiritual importance.
• The temple showcases the classic features of Dravidian temple architecture, characterized by intricate carvings, towering gopurams (gateway towers), and a richly decorated sanctum.
• Thalikiswarar temple is one of the ancient granite stone temples in the Kongu region.
• 12 lines of Vattezhuthu inscription have been found on the Arthamandapam of Thalikiswarar shrine.
• As per the inscription, the temple was built by the medieval period Chera ruler Kokkandan Viranarayanan, who ruled the middle part of the Kongu region in the 9th century AD.
• It says that the temple built by Kokkandan Viranarayanan should be protected at any cost, and the entire hereditary of the person who damages it will severely suffer and perish.

Vattezhuthu

• Vattezhuthu, meaning "rounded script," is an ancient script that evolved from Tamil-Brahmi.
• It is notable for its distinctive rounded characters, which differentiate it from other South Indian scripts.
• The script's name may derive from various roots, including "Vatte" (round) and "eluttu" (letter) or "Vata" (northern), signifying its northern origins​.

Historical Development

• Vattezhuthu began to develop around the 4th or 5th century CE, with the earliest examples found in memorial stone inscriptions from that period.
• It gained prominence by the 6th century CE, particularly in Tamil Nadu and parts of Sri Lanka.
• By the 7th to 8th centuries, Vattezhuthu had become a distinct script, separate from its Tamil-Brahmi origins.

Geographical Spread and Usage

• The script was primarily used in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu and the northern regions of Kerala.
• It is sometimes referred to as "Tekkan Malayalam" or "Nanamona" in these areas.
• Inscriptions in Vattezhuthu have been found on pottery, memorial stones, and donative inscriptions, indicating its widespread use across various media​​.

Evolution and Decline

• As Tamil and Malayalam evolved, so did their writing systems.
• By the 11th century, the Pallava-Grantha script began to replace Vattezhuthu in Tamil Nadu.
• In Kerala, Vattezhuthu continued to be used until the 17th century, when it gradually gave way to scripts like Koleluttu and Malayanma.
• The modern Malayalam script, derived from the Pallava-Grantha script, eventually supplanted Vattezhuthu​​.

Inscriptions

• Numerous inscriptions in Vattezhuthu provide valuable insights into the history, culture, and languages of ancient Tamil and Kerala regions.
• Notable inscriptions include those from the 7th century in the Vaigai river bed, the 8th century in Tiruttangal, and Jain sculptures with Vattezhuthu inscriptions in Thirupparankunram.

 Major Scripts Used In India

Script	Region	Associated Languages	Characteristics
Devanagari	Northern & Central India	Hindi, Marathi, Sanskrit, Nepali, Konkani	Brahmi-derived; written left-to-right; used in multiple languages
Bengali	Eastern India	Bengali, Assamese	Brahmi-derived; used in Bengal and Assam
Gurmukhi	Punjab	Punjabi	Developed by Guru Angad; derived from Sharada script
Gujarati	Western India	Gujarati, Kutchi	Similar to Devanagari but distinct in character formation
Odia	Eastern India	Odia	Brahmi-derived; has rounded characters
Tamil	Southern India	Tamil	Dravidian; distinct from other Brahmi-derived scripts
Telugu	Southern India	Telugu	Dravidian; known for its rounded characters
Kannada	Southern India	Kannada	Dravidian; shares similarities with Telugu
Malayalam	Southern India	Malayalam	Evolved from Grantha; rounded and flowing script
Grantha	Southern India	Sanskrit (in Tamil Nadu and Kerala)	Used to write classical Sanskrit texts
Kharosthi	Ancient Gandhara	Gandhari Prakrit, Sanskrit	Right-to-left script; similar to Brahmi
Brahmi	Ancient India	Various ancient languages	One of the oldest scripts; progenitor of many Indian scripts
Sharada	Kashmir	Kashmiri, Sanskrit	An abugida from the Brahmic family; limited use today
Modi	Western India	Marathi	Used for administrative purposes in Maharashtra
Nandinagari	Southern India	Sanskrit	Brahmi-derived; used in ancient manuscripts
Vatteluttu	Southern India	Old Tamil	Predecessor of modern Tamil; derived from Tamil-Brahmi
Tigalari	Southern India	Kannada, Tulu	Used mainly in Tulu Nadu region; shares traits with Grantha
Indus Script	Indus Valley	Undeciphered	Earliest known script of the Indian subcontinent

Sources:TimesofIndia

PRACTICE QUESTION Q: Consider the following statements about the Vattezhuthu script: Vattezhuthu is an ancient script used predominantly in the southern part of India, especially in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The script was primarily used for writing Sanskrit texts during the medieval period. Vattezhuthu evolved from the ancient Brahmi script and influenced the development of modern Tamil and Malayalam scripts. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? A) 1 and 2 only B) 1 and 3 only C) 2 and 3 only D) 1, 2, and 3 Answer: B