The departments have joined hands not only to interpret the manuscripts belonging to the 11-18th century, but also to conserve the rare documents of significant historical value. Apart from the palm leaf manuscripts, bundles of rare documents, bills and books were recovered from the temple premises.

‘‘All these documents are of immense historical value as they can throw light on the social history of the region during the British and pre-British regime,’’ said P. Sivadasan, head of department of history, Calicut University.

Historians who gathered at the temple as part of a three-day workshop on conservation of the documents said the manuscripts and other documents would have the potential for a re-reading of Kerala’s social history. ‘‘We have rare documents mentioning a lot about Tipu Sultan’s expeditions,’’ said Dr. Sivadasan.

Inaugurating the workshop, Calicut University Vice Chancellor K. Mohammed Basheer read out a few lines from an 1892 diary of Sankaran Namboothiri, a radical Brahmin who challenged the orthodoxy. The diary found from the temple storehouse, along with several others, was a reflection of the period the Namboothiri lived.

Archives Department Director J. Rejikumar and Archaeology Department Director G. Premkumar said that Karikkad, a well-known Namboothiri settlement in Kerala, would get the historical significance it deserved. It would be protected, they said.

The team of historians and researchers will prepare an index of the documents found at Karikkad and will script eight papers in the next two days. ‘‘We are encouraging our students to depend on the primary source of information to interpret history,’’ Dr. Sivadasan said.

He said that when professionals handle the documents and artefacts from yesteryear, the results would be fruitful and rich.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by Abdul Latheef Naha / Malappuram – March 12th, 2016