Vattezhuththu script

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This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content.

The script

A

Kerala Culture

Vattezhuthu

Of the available Malayalam scripts, Vattezhuthu is the most ancient script. Devoid of consonants, this script is transformed from Brahmi Script, the most ancient script of India. A. R. Raja Raja Varma, in his famous work ‘Kerala Paanineeyam’, mentions that “Vattezhuthu” was the script used in Malayalam till the time of Thunchath Ezhuthachan. He details that the Vattezhuthu script was suitable to write Tamil but did not have consonants needed to transcribe Sanskrit words. During the ancient times, the official language as well as the trade language in Kerala was Tamil and hence the Vattezhuthu script was widely used.

The Vattezhuthu script system was also known as ‘Naanam Monam’. The name came from the eight syllable manthra ‘Om Namo Narayana’ which was used to start the royal charters.

The Vattezhuthu script was widely used from 8th century AD to 15th century AD. According to the linguist L. A. Ravi Varma, the original name of this script was ‘Vettezhuthu’ from the Malayalam word “Vettu” meaning cut as the letters were written by cutting into rocks or copper sheets using tools like the chisel.

The ancient script ‘Kolezhuthu’ was also used to write the Malayalam language. The inability of Vattezhuthu to write Sanskrit has paved the way for the introduction of a new script for the language, Grandha Script. The modern alphabets of Malayalam evolved from the Grandha script.

Naanam Monam

Naanam Monam is another name of the ancient Malayalam script ‘Vattezhuthu’. The ancient documents which started with Sanskrit encomiums praise like Swasthi, Sri etc. were substituted with ‘Namo Narayana’. These encomiums were wrongly pronounced colloquially as ‘Naanam Monam’ and eventually the script itself came to called Naanam Monam.

B

DEPT. OF ARCHAEOLOGY

Vattezhuthu Alphabets in Various Times
From: DEPT. OF ARCHAEOLOGY

Vattezhuthu Script on Red ware Potteries, 6th Century CE, Boluvampatti,Coimbatore District- 1. n kuppaivitta kula
From: DEPT. OF ARCHAEOLOGY

Vattezhuthu Script on Red ware Potteries, 6th Century CE, Boluvampatti,Coimbatore District- 2. …rra Kotti
From: DEPT. OF ARCHAEOLOGY

Sendan Maran’s Irrigation Inscription in Vattezhuthu 7th Century CE, Vaigai river bed, Madurai
From: DEPT. OF ARCHAEOLOGY

Donative Inscription in Vattezhuthu, Pandya Maranjadaiyan 8th century CE, Tiruttangal, Virudhunagar District
From: DEPT. OF ARCHAEOLOGY

Jain Sculptures with Inscriptions in Vattezhuthu Script on either sides. 9thCentury CE, Thirupparankunram, Madurai District
From: DEPT. OF ARCHAEOLOGY

Rajakesari (Peruvazhi) Highway inscription in both Tamil & Vattezhuthu (verse), 9th century CE, Sundaikamuthur, Coimbatore District
From: DEPT. OF ARCHAEOLOGY

Vattezhuthu Script

As this script was written with more cursive lines, it was known as Vattezhuthu and Vattam. These names are found even in epigraphs of 13th century CE at Courtallam. It is also known as Tekkan Malayalam and Nanamona. Earlier inscriptions in this script were mostly noticed in southern districts, and occasionally in other areas. So far, it is not noticed in Thanjavur and adjoining regions of Kaveri river delta known earlier as Chola mandalam.

Due to special courses and workshops on Tamil Epigraphy conducted by the State Department of Archaeology to students, teachers and others interested in epigraphy, in recent decades many important inscriptions in this script are noticed. They are Pulankurichi inscription in Sivaganga district, many memorial stone inscriptions in northern districts of Tamil Nadu and several in Villupuram and adjoining districts. These new discoveries now help palaeographists to form a complete picture of this scripts’ evolution.