An Eelam coin, engraved with the name Rajaraja Chola (c. 985-1012 AD) was unearthed by 3 Tamil school girls whilst playing in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu, India.
A week ago, the school girls dug a pit near their homes whilst playing and unearthed the coin, alongside Chinese porcelain, potsherds, iron ore and red potsherds.
On one side of the coin, a man is seen standing with a flower in his hand. On his left there are 4 circles, a crescent above him and on the right there is a trident and a lamp. On the other side of the coin, a man is sat with a conch in his hand. The name "Srirajaraja" is engraved in Devanagari script near his left hand in three lines.
V Rajaguru, secretary of the heritage club that the school girls are part of and president of the Ramanathapuram Archaeological Research Foundation, said that Eelam coins were issues in gold, silver and copper. This was to commemorate the conquest of Sri Lanka by Rajaraja Chola I.
This is not the first time an Eelam coin has been unearthed. They have been found in coastal areas of Ramanathapuram district like Periyapattinam, Thondi, Kalimankundu and Alagankulam. These coins were issued in Tamil Eelam and in Sri Lanka and were in circulation in the countries that the Cholas ruled.
The Chola Empire is known as being one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the world's history, with an empire expanding across South Asia and South-East Asia. At one point, it ruled across the whole island of Tamil Eelam and Sri Lanka.
Read more here
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.