A specialized team of epigraphists has discovered a series of hidden inscriptions on the outer walls of a 10th-century Chola temple near Tiruchirappalli. The text, revealed after the removal of centuries of lime wash, provides a detailed syllabus for a Vedic Mathematics school that operated within the temple premises. The inscriptions mention Sulba Sutras (geometry) and complex calculations for the construction of astronomical platforms.
This find is revolutionary for historians of science, as it offers a firsthand look at how mathematical knowledge was institutionalized and preserved within sacred Hindu architecture. The Tamil inscriptions also list the names of scholars who were granted land and gold in exchange for teaching geometry and algebra to the local youth during the reign of Rajaraja I.