Millennium old Tamil inscription found in Trincomalee

A stone slab having a Tamil inscription, clearly in the alphabet of the Chola times, was found in Trincomalee while digging for cricket stadium construction work recently. The land where it was found is a part of the esplanade, on the right side of the Koa’neasvaram Road leading to the Siva temple inside Fort Frederick and is adjacent to the bay where the temple’s Theerththam (water cutting) ritual is held. Sometimes back, a Buddhist Vihara and another structure called Sanghamitta Buddhist Rest were constructed at this place. The inscribed slab was taken into possession by the Trincomalee police and was sent to the Department of Archaeology in Colombo.

The inscribed stone slab having a perforation in the middle

The construction work for a modern cricket stadium in the esplanade was financed by the Provincial Governor’s Fund.

The Tamil script of Chola times seem clearly in the inscription

The construction work in the land has been suspended by the Department of Archaeology.

The inscribed stone slab has a large perforation at the centre reminding of anchors and sluice-gates.

Academics are concerned about the safe custody of the inscription with the Department of Archaeology.

As there are no Tamil officials or no Tamil epigraphists in the Department of Archaeology, academic circles expect estampages of the inscription to be sent to relevant scholars as early as possible by the Department of Archaeology of Sri Lanka, for speedy dissemination of knowledge about the inscription.