Tamil Nadu

Archaeology, Epigraphy & Heritage

• 5th-Century Hero Stone Unearthed in Tenkasi:
  • Archaeologists from the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) unearthed a 5th-century hero stone inside a Sangam-era brick well at Malayadipatti village near Karivalamvandanallur (Tenkasi district).
  • Epigraphic Significance: Features a 4-line inscription (‘Karukkan’, ‘Sulagan’, ‘Nannang’, ‘Kodiyan’) representing a transitional script stage from Tamil-Brahmi to Vattezhuthu, erected in memory of Nannang Kodiyan.
  • Architectural Note: Similar to hero stones discovered at Pulimankombai, Aappanur, and Mallikapuram, this hero stone contains only text without physical depictions of the warrior.

Literary Awards

• Canada Tamil Literary Garden ‘Iyal Award’ 2026:
  • The non-fiction Iyal Award was conferred on life convict C. Selvam for his prison memoir Oru Thooku Kaithiyin Vaakumoolam (The Testimony of a Death Warrant Prisoner).

National

National Space Day

• 3rd National Space Day (August 23):
  • Observed nationwide on August 23 to commemorate the historic landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the lunar south pole in 2023.