Grantha script

The Grantha script (Grantha: 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥𑌲𑌿𑌪𑌿; Malayalam: ഗ്രന്ഥലിപി, romanized: granthalipi; Tamil: கிரந்த எழுத்து, romanized: Granta eḻuttu) is a classical South Indian Brahmic script, found particularly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

[7][8] This early Grantha script was used to write Sanskrit texts, inscriptions on copper plates and stones of Hindu temples and monasteries.

According to Kailasapathy, this was a part of Tamil nationalism and amounted to regional ethnic chauvinism.

This stems from the practice of binding inscribed palm leaves using a length of thread held by knots.

Grantha was widely used to write Sanskrit in the Tamil-speaking parts of South Asia from about the 5th century CE into modern times.

This evolved into a fairly complex writing system which required that Tamil words be written in the Tamil script and Sanskrit words be written in the Grantha script.

[citation needed] In modern times, the Tamil-Grantha script is used in religious contexts by Tamil-speaking Hindus.

[3] As in other Brahmic scripts Grantha consonant signs have an inherent vowel, typically corresponding to /a/, so, for example, the letter ⟨𑌕⟩ is pronounced /ka/.

Each consonant in Grantha includes an inherent vowel a, so the letter ⟨𑌕⟩, for example, is pronounced ka.

(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) Grantha script was added to the Unicode Standard in June 2014 with the release of version 7.0.

A Chera era Grantha inscription.
8th century Velvikudi grant inscription in the Grantha script (Sanskrit language).
Grantha inscription at Bṛhadīśvara Temple, India
7th-century inscription in Grantha script at the Mandagapattu Hindu temple
A palm leaf manuscript in Sanskrit written in Grantha script.
A Grantha script on palm leaf copy of the Samaveda , a Sanskrit Vedic text.