R. Nagaswamy

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In this Indian name, the name Ramachandran is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Nagaswamy.

R. Nagaswamy
Nagaswamy at a lecture in 2015
Director of the Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department
In office
1966–1988
Preceded byT. N. Ramachandran[a]
Succeeded byNatana Kasinathan
Personal details
Born
Ramachandran Nagaswamy

(1930-08-10)10 August 1930
archaeologist
Awards

Ramachandran Nagaswamy (10 August 1930 – 23 January 2022) was an Indian

epigraphist who was known for his work on temple inscriptions and art history of Tamil Nadu. He was an authority on Chola bronzes
.

Nagaswamy became the inaugural director of the

Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department in 1966, serving in that capacity till 1988. He also founded the annual Chidambaram Natyanjali festival in 1980. In 2018, he was awarded India's third-highest civilian award, the Padma Bhushan.[2]

Early life

Nagaswamy was born on 10 August 1930, the son of

University of Poona.[3] Nagaswamy underwent archaeological training under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and in 1959, joined the Government Museum, Chennai as curator for art and archaeology.[3]

Career

Nagaswamy served as curator for art and archaeology in the Government Museum in Chennai from 1959 to 1963. In 1963, he was appointed assistant special officer for archaeology for Tamil Nadu state and from 1966 to 1988, he headed the newly formed Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department as its first director, serving until his retirement.[5]

Nagaswamy made archaeology a popular subject in Tamil Nadu, especially among children through publication of pocket book guides. He was responsible for involving several thousand school and college students in cleaning and preserving nearby historical places and monuments. He also popularized monuments by bringing out popular guides in the form of newspaper, priced at ten paise per copy.

Poompuhar coast in Mayiladuthurai.[5]

Nagaswamy composed dance dramas chronicling the lives of the

Chola bronze statues. He founded the annual Chidambaram Natyanjali festival in 1980.[5]

Honours

Nagaswamy was awarded the

London High Court, in the "London Nataraja case" in the 1980s, which resulted in a Chola-era Nataraja statue that had been smuggled to London being returned to India.[8]

Nagaswamy was awarded India's third highest civilian honour, the Padma Bhushan, in 2018.[9]

Controversies

Nagaswamy had been accused of indulging in a Brahminical Sanskrit interpretation of Tamil history. He stressed that the Tamil work Thirukkural was an "abridgement" of the Hindu shastras, thereby inviting criticism from Tamil nationalists and politicians from

Dravida Munetra Kazhagam leader M. K. Stalin opposed the proposal.[10][11]

Personal life

Nagaswamy was married to Parvathi with whom he had two sons and two daughters.

Besant Nagar, Chennai, on 23 January 2022, at the age of 91.[13][14][15]

Publications

Explanatory notes

  1. ^ T. N. Ramachandran was designated as a 'Special Officer'.[1]

References

  1. ^ "Who Is Who". Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  2. ^ "6 Padma awardees are pride and joy of Tamil Nadu". The Times of India. 26 January 2018. Archived from the original on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d "Biodata of R. Nagaswamy". Tamil Arts Academy. Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  4. ^ Kausalya Santhanam (24 February 1995). "The Achievers". The Hindu.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Eminent archaeologist R Nagaswamy no more". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  6. ^ "Tamilarts Academy". Archived from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  7. ^ "Grateful2Gurus 2017–18". Indic Today. 5 April 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  8. ^ "The case of the peregrinating Nataraja". The Hindu. 3 April 2003. Archived from the original on 3 January 2004.
  9. ^ "Eminent archaeologist R Nagaswamy passes away; PM condoles Padma Bhushan awardee's demise". Firstpost. 23 January 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  10. ^ Ravishankar, Prathap (1 April 2019). "Why is this 88-year-old historian riling Stalin and other Dravidianists". The Federal. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  11. ^ "Stalin shows his ignorance of Tamil history: Noted archaeologist Dr Nagaswamy responds". The News Minute. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  12. ^ "Eminent archaeologist, TN archaeology dept's first director Nagaswamy dead". PTI. Archived from the original on 23 January 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2022 – via The New Indian Express.
  13. ^ "R Nagaswamy: Archaeologist who kept digging for knowledge". The Times of India. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  14. ^ "முதுபெரும் தொல்லியல் அறிஞர் ஆர்.நாகசாமி மறைவு". Dinamani. 23 January 2022. Archived from the original on 23 January 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  15. ^ "Archaeologist R Nagaswamy passes away in Chennai". Hindustan Times. 24 January 2022.

External links

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