Ancient Burial Practices in Tamil Nadu | Keeladi - Storytrails
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Ancient Burial Practices in Tamil Nadu | Keeladi

Burial sites are among the most important sources of information for archaeologists. The excavations at Keeladi, Adichanallur, Korkai and other places in Tamil Nadu have thrown up a host of burial urns, skeletal remains and other grave goods. These finds reveal much about the oldest settlements in south India through the ways in which they dealt with death. This video, the latest in our series around the Keeladi excavations, explores the different burial rites and practices of ancient Tamils and how they help us understand our history and cultures of the past better.

The Keeladi excavations in Tamil Nadu have pushed the known timelines of ancient Tamil civilisation by at least three centuries. But puzzlingly, unlike most inhabited sites, the Keeladi sites did not reveal any human bones. Then, as archaeologists expanded the area under excavation, they reached a village called Konthagai, where they found a large number of skeletons and burial urns. Could Konthagai have been a burial site for Keeladi? How did ancient Tamils deal with death? What are burial urns and how do the findings at Keeladi, Korkai, Adichanallur and other places corroborate the information about Tamil burial rites mentioned in Sangam literature? This video digs deep into the different funerary customs practised in the oldest settlements of south India – from cremations and the use of burial urns to the erecting of hero stones and Nishidhi pillars to commemorate the dead. 

Produced in partnership with Saint-Gobain, Tamil Nadu Tourism and The Egmore Museum, Chennai

Editing credits: Venkat Krishna

Music by Coma-Media from Pixabay

  1. Chinese funerary urn – Via The Metropolitan Museum of Art- Public Domain, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/44733
  2. Greek funerary urn – By Hirschfeld Workshop -CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8947616
  3. Funerary urns from Harappa – By Avantiputra7 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64158398
  4. Aerial view of the Giza pyramid complex – By Robster1983, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15798633
  5. Gizah Pyramids – By Avantiputra7 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64158398
  6. Gold funerary mask of ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun – By Roland Unger – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48168958
  7. Ancient Egyptian mummy – Via Get Archive – Public Domain, https://jenikirbyhistory.getarchive.net/amp/media/mummy-of-ukhhotep-son-of-hedjpu-8908f7
  8. Reconstruction of a shaft tomb – Via Wikimedia Commons – By User:Maunus, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19987566 
  9. Grave goods from ancient Greece – By Mary Harrsch – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=97507988 
  10. Grave goods from Germany – By Photo by James Steakley – Rheinisches Landesmuseum Bonn, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22939363
  11. Mehrgarh ruins – By Ashish_Premier – Wikimapia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78304132
  12. Skeleton from Rakhigarhi – By Nomu420 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30793169
  13. Symbol of Om – By The Unicode Consortium – Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54100842
  14. Jain Prateek Chihna – By Original: Mpanchratan Vector: Chainwit, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19023584
  15. Silhouette of Buddha – Via Free SVG – Public Domain, https://freesvg.org/vector-drawing-of-sitting-buddha
  16. Cremation pyre on the bank of Bagamati – Via Wikimedia Commons – CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=546950
  17. A Hindu Cremation – By Donvikro – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15604905
  18. Burning dead at Benares – Via Wikimedia Commons – By Bain News Service, publisher – Library of Congress Catalog, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67769998
  19. Illustration of Hindu funeral – By Unknown author – https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_2007-3005-2, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9874419
  20. Dolmens of Kodaikanal in palani hills – By Kabelesh – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28544631
  21. Narasinghapuram hero stone – By Balu 606902 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21781539
  22. Murugamangalam hero stone – By Balu 606902 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21781842
  23. Tatchampadi hero stone – By Balu 606902 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21782263
  24. Kolakkaravadi hero stone – By Balu 606902 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21781837
  25. Hero stone – By Thamizhpparithi Maari – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18121108
  26. Hero stone – By Thamizhpparithi Maari – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18071386
  27. Hero stone – By Thamizhpparithi Maari – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18516746
  28. The chamber for the ascetics to observe Sallekhana – By Sailesh Patnaik – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50313304
  29. Doddahundi Nishidhi – By Holenarasipura – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23974269
  30. Tavanandi Nishidhi stone – By Dineshkannambadi – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40638329
  31. The Suryaprajnaptisūtra – By Work of Art from 15th Century CE Manuscript – http://www.schoyencollection.com/religions_files/ms5297.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4632565
  32. 19 Vultures: Gyps africanus landing – Via Flickr – CC BY-NC-SA 2.0, https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidbygott/4425412488
  33. Burial Urns – By Thamizhpparithi Maari – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18156626
  34. Vellanikottai burial urn – By Booradleyp1 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50749077
  35. Vallanadu burial urn – By Booradleyp1 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50749087
  36. Adichanallur urns – By Sailko – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=111701208 
END OF STORY

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