The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c31.146

v1.c31.146

16. Finally we must mention that the old South Indian Nandinagari alphabet disappeared during this period. Its latest examples are dated 1600. It was the favourite alphabet of the Madhva sect from the 14th century onwards, especially for writing on palm-leaves. The disciples of this sect were numerous in the Tamil country: Kanchivaram, Kumbhakonam, Tanjore and their surroundings. The characters had been formerly employed exclusively for writing on paper, but were latterly also used for writing on palm-leaves. Later on, after the Maratha conquest of Tanjore, the modern Nagari character was also introduced in the South ⁷.