RR
27th August 2008, 02:03 PM
Dr. Sankaranarayanan - the numismatist
- Padmanabha
[html:28db606495]http://mayyam.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=144&g2_serialNumber=1[/html:28db606495]
“When our ancestral house was pulled down, I never thought that I would come across such a vast treasure of coins,” said Dr. Sankaranarayanan with awe. “After 54 years, now I revived my hobby and today I have more than ten thousand coins in my collection,” he said while taking out his collection from a pouch.
This physician now settled in Ambasamudram was in the city for a personal visit. According to him, numismatics is multidisciplinary science. A numismatist has to know Geography Archeology, History, Chemistry and Ethnology. “The source of eighty percent of my collection is from Ambasamudram only. It may sound strange but it is true,” he said and continued, “We have ‘arippukkaran’ (one who sieves sand) in search of precious jewels on the banks on Thamraparani. They are my chief source of supply. To know why such a vast treasure on Thamraparani River, one has to learn Human Migration”.
Dr Sankaranarayanan has in his collection the Proto coin and the Slave coin besides a huge collection of Chera coins the coins of various Kingdoms.
[html:28db606495]http://mayyam.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=152&g2_serialNumber=1
http://mayyam.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=148&g2_serialNumber=1
http://mayyam.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=150&g2_serialNumber=1[/html:28db606495]
Picture Description: 1) chera coins, 2) slave coins, 3) slave coin and the currency issued by the Bank of Biafra
All these have some connection with human evolution. Evolution of Man began in East Africa. There occurred heavy drought and men migrated to Ethiopia, Arabian Peninsula, and the Western Coast on India. From there one branch moved to Arabian Peninsula, one to South Central Asia and another to the West. The men from central Asia moved to the South and their descendant’s are the hill tribes of today. From central Asia another group moved to Tibet, Assam, the Nagas they were called further spread to Rangoon and other South East Asian countries as far as Timor.
One group from Assam group sailed along the sea reached the present Tamil Nadu. They were called Thirayar. (thira means waves) and settled in fenced place and hence the name Arcot. They mingled with the local people. Spencer Wells the author of Human Migration studied the DNA samples and proved this theory of human migration” explained Dr. Sankaranarayanan.
The earliest Cheras were the Sangam Cheras. Muziris was their capital. They invaded Karur. They have issued Punch marked coins. The ruler “Pal yaaga saalai” Muthu Peruvazhuthi issued rectangular coins with a picture of tree and a horse tethered to it (representing the Aswa medha yayagam). According to Sankaranarayanan before the origin of Malayalam, all the Chera coins had the Tamil letter “Cha” is embossed on it.
Since King Kulasekhara Alwar abdicated kingdom, he did not issue any coins. However, Ravi Varma kulasekahra had issued many. By that time, the Cholas and the Pandyas declined. Ravi Varma Kulasekhara married to the sister of Kulasekhara Pandayn, established his kingdom and crowned twice at Madurai and Kanchepuram. Until then the coins in circulation mostly in South India were Rajaraja chola coins (with standing man and sitting man on each side). Ravi Varma Kulasekhara gradually introduced coins with the symbols of a sitting man on one side and other had the symbol of the axe (of Parasurama) with a Tamil script “cha”.
Why “cha”?
“My view is that the Ay with capital Aykkudi near Sankarankoil, had Sankaranarayana as the eshtadevatha. Ravi Varma introduced Parasurama’s axe with “cha” in Tamil establishing the fact that the Cheras were the descendants of Ays.
In the 15-centuy the Kingdom of Venad spread up to Tirunelveli beyond. There is a mosque at Kayal pattanam named after the Chera king. The King who established Jaythunganad with the capital as Kalakkad were called Bhoothala veeras. I have collected four different coins of the Bhoothala veeras. Same ruler appearing as a devotee in two different forms is the significance of the coin. The inscriptions are in perfect chaste Tamil,” he said.
During Mohammedan invasions, all Hindu temples in the South were closed. The Vijayanagara Kingdom came into being and resulted in the revival of Hinduism. Venad had more respect for Vijayanagara as -Vishnu is the tutelary deity of both. This is the brief history of the Travancore coins.”
[html:28db606495]
http://mayyam.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=146&g2_serialNumber=1
http://mayyam.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=154&g2_serialNumber=1
http://mayyam.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=139&g2_serialNumber=1
http://mayyam.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=142&g2_serialNumber=1[/html:28db606495]
Picture Description: 1) proto coin 2) ananthasayanam coin 3) & 4) chinese coins
Dr. Sankaranarayanan has in his collection the Proto coin (2500 years old), Kushana coins, Punch marked Chera Chola and Pandya coins, Rama Lakshmana coins of Bengal, Satavahana coins, Ikshvahu coins, and coins of Rajendra Chola, commemoration coin of George V, Raasi panam, coins of Nizam Marathas, Tipu and Hyder Ali. Pin head coins of Madurai Sundara Pandyan are another valuable collection. The Chera coins of Rama Varma Kulasekhara have the emblem of Garuda (conveyance of Lord Vishnu).
The British bought slaves from Africa and sent to West Indies. This horseshoe shaped coins manufactured in Birmingham were procured from the remains of the ship “Schooner Duro” wrecked in 1813. The Bank of Biafra issued a currency worth five shillings with the picture of the slave coin to commemorate slave trade.
According to him, coins reach a place by trade. In addition, there is a belief among the Hindus that coins when thrown into rivers would ward off sins. That is how riverbanks became a treasure house of coins. It is believed that Agasthya created the river Ambasamudram from Baana theertham. The river Thamraparanai is the most holy river. The popular belief is the once in a year the Goddess Ganges bathe in Thamraparani to ward off the sins! Dr Sankaranarayanan could procure plenty of Naga artifacts from the Hills of Papanasam near Ambasamudram (Tirunelveli), which underlines the theory of human migration.
[tscii:28db606495][/tscii:28db606495]
- Padmanabha
[html:28db606495]http://mayyam.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=144&g2_serialNumber=1[/html:28db606495]
“When our ancestral house was pulled down, I never thought that I would come across such a vast treasure of coins,” said Dr. Sankaranarayanan with awe. “After 54 years, now I revived my hobby and today I have more than ten thousand coins in my collection,” he said while taking out his collection from a pouch.
This physician now settled in Ambasamudram was in the city for a personal visit. According to him, numismatics is multidisciplinary science. A numismatist has to know Geography Archeology, History, Chemistry and Ethnology. “The source of eighty percent of my collection is from Ambasamudram only. It may sound strange but it is true,” he said and continued, “We have ‘arippukkaran’ (one who sieves sand) in search of precious jewels on the banks on Thamraparani. They are my chief source of supply. To know why such a vast treasure on Thamraparani River, one has to learn Human Migration”.
Dr Sankaranarayanan has in his collection the Proto coin and the Slave coin besides a huge collection of Chera coins the coins of various Kingdoms.
[html:28db606495]http://mayyam.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=152&g2_serialNumber=1
http://mayyam.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=148&g2_serialNumber=1
http://mayyam.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=150&g2_serialNumber=1[/html:28db606495]
Picture Description: 1) chera coins, 2) slave coins, 3) slave coin and the currency issued by the Bank of Biafra
All these have some connection with human evolution. Evolution of Man began in East Africa. There occurred heavy drought and men migrated to Ethiopia, Arabian Peninsula, and the Western Coast on India. From there one branch moved to Arabian Peninsula, one to South Central Asia and another to the West. The men from central Asia moved to the South and their descendant’s are the hill tribes of today. From central Asia another group moved to Tibet, Assam, the Nagas they were called further spread to Rangoon and other South East Asian countries as far as Timor.
One group from Assam group sailed along the sea reached the present Tamil Nadu. They were called Thirayar. (thira means waves) and settled in fenced place and hence the name Arcot. They mingled with the local people. Spencer Wells the author of Human Migration studied the DNA samples and proved this theory of human migration” explained Dr. Sankaranarayanan.
The earliest Cheras were the Sangam Cheras. Muziris was their capital. They invaded Karur. They have issued Punch marked coins. The ruler “Pal yaaga saalai” Muthu Peruvazhuthi issued rectangular coins with a picture of tree and a horse tethered to it (representing the Aswa medha yayagam). According to Sankaranarayanan before the origin of Malayalam, all the Chera coins had the Tamil letter “Cha” is embossed on it.
Since King Kulasekhara Alwar abdicated kingdom, he did not issue any coins. However, Ravi Varma kulasekahra had issued many. By that time, the Cholas and the Pandyas declined. Ravi Varma Kulasekhara married to the sister of Kulasekhara Pandayn, established his kingdom and crowned twice at Madurai and Kanchepuram. Until then the coins in circulation mostly in South India were Rajaraja chola coins (with standing man and sitting man on each side). Ravi Varma Kulasekhara gradually introduced coins with the symbols of a sitting man on one side and other had the symbol of the axe (of Parasurama) with a Tamil script “cha”.
Why “cha”?
“My view is that the Ay with capital Aykkudi near Sankarankoil, had Sankaranarayana as the eshtadevatha. Ravi Varma introduced Parasurama’s axe with “cha” in Tamil establishing the fact that the Cheras were the descendants of Ays.
In the 15-centuy the Kingdom of Venad spread up to Tirunelveli beyond. There is a mosque at Kayal pattanam named after the Chera king. The King who established Jaythunganad with the capital as Kalakkad were called Bhoothala veeras. I have collected four different coins of the Bhoothala veeras. Same ruler appearing as a devotee in two different forms is the significance of the coin. The inscriptions are in perfect chaste Tamil,” he said.
During Mohammedan invasions, all Hindu temples in the South were closed. The Vijayanagara Kingdom came into being and resulted in the revival of Hinduism. Venad had more respect for Vijayanagara as -Vishnu is the tutelary deity of both. This is the brief history of the Travancore coins.”
[html:28db606495]
http://mayyam.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=146&g2_serialNumber=1
http://mayyam.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=154&g2_serialNumber=1
http://mayyam.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=139&g2_serialNumber=1
http://mayyam.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=142&g2_serialNumber=1[/html:28db606495]
Picture Description: 1) proto coin 2) ananthasayanam coin 3) & 4) chinese coins
Dr. Sankaranarayanan has in his collection the Proto coin (2500 years old), Kushana coins, Punch marked Chera Chola and Pandya coins, Rama Lakshmana coins of Bengal, Satavahana coins, Ikshvahu coins, and coins of Rajendra Chola, commemoration coin of George V, Raasi panam, coins of Nizam Marathas, Tipu and Hyder Ali. Pin head coins of Madurai Sundara Pandyan are another valuable collection. The Chera coins of Rama Varma Kulasekhara have the emblem of Garuda (conveyance of Lord Vishnu).
The British bought slaves from Africa and sent to West Indies. This horseshoe shaped coins manufactured in Birmingham were procured from the remains of the ship “Schooner Duro” wrecked in 1813. The Bank of Biafra issued a currency worth five shillings with the picture of the slave coin to commemorate slave trade.
According to him, coins reach a place by trade. In addition, there is a belief among the Hindus that coins when thrown into rivers would ward off sins. That is how riverbanks became a treasure house of coins. It is believed that Agasthya created the river Ambasamudram from Baana theertham. The river Thamraparanai is the most holy river. The popular belief is the once in a year the Goddess Ganges bathe in Thamraparani to ward off the sins! Dr Sankaranarayanan could procure plenty of Naga artifacts from the Hills of Papanasam near Ambasamudram (Tirunelveli), which underlines the theory of human migration.
[tscii:28db606495][/tscii:28db606495]