ASI permits T.N. Archaeology Department to conduct excavations in Keeladi, seven other sites

After a delay of many months, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has finally granted permission to the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) to conduct excavations at eight historical sites in the State, including the 11^th phase of excavations at Keeladi.

According to officials, the approval has been given to conduct excavations at Keeladi and its clusters in Sivaganga district; Pattinamarudhur in Thoothukudi district; Karivalamvanthanallur in Tenkasi district; Manikollai in Cuddalore district; Adichanur in Villupuram district; Vellalore in Coimbatore district; Telunganur-Mangadu in Salem district; and Nagapattinam.

The approval from the Exploration and Excavation Section of the ASI was granted on March 13 under the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Rules, 1959, following the recommendation of an expert committee.

In July 2025, the TNSDA had sought the ASI’s approval to conduct excavations at these sites, which were announced by Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu in the State Budget for 2025-26. After delays, officials from the Tamil Nadu government had written to the ASI seeking approval, as the excavation season in Tamil Nadu runs only from January to July.

Recently, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin also urged the Centre to grant approval for the excavations in Tamil Nadu at the earliest, noting that monsoon conditions would disrupt fieldwork during the second half of the year.

Last year, the TNSDA had also sought the ASI’s approval to conduct underwater archaeological explorations off the coast of Poompuhar, the ancient port city once known as Kaveripoompattinam, in Mayiladuthurai district. According to official sources, the ASI granted approval for the underwater survey in September 2025. The TNSDA has since been conducting a series of surveys off the Poompuhar coast.