Efforts to reclaim the cultural heritage of the Kanthallur-Valiasala area will have full support of the Archaeology Department, Minister for Archaeology and Archives Kadannappally Ramachandran has said.
He was speaking after inaugurating the Paithrakagramam scheme to reclaim and protect the culture of Kanthallur-Valiasala under the aegis of the Janamaithri scheme of the police.
The Minister said Kanthallur-Valiasala, which were known as a university in the olden times, had a significant place in history. Efforts should be made to protect our culture and pass it on to the next generation. The Archaeology and Archives departments were taking steps towards this end, he said.
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The Thampanoor Janamithri police, under whose limits Kanthallur-Valiasala fall, are taking up the project with residents’ associations and cultural activists. Kanthallur Shala or Sarva Chattanamadam, arguably, in the vicinity of Valiyasala, beside the Killi river, is the oldest educational institution in the city. Defaced inscriptions of Rajendra Chola (AD 1013-1045) found in the Valiyasala Mahadevar temple bear testimony to its antiquity. V.S. Sivakumar, MLA, presided over the function. City Police Commissioner G. Sparjan Kumar and ward councillor Lakshmi were present.