Renowned Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar's statue unveiled in Haridwar  

The 12-foot-tall stone statue of renowned Tamil poet and philosopher-saint Thiruvalluvar was inaugurated at Mela Bhawan in Haridwar, Uttarakhand by Chief minister Harish Rawat.
The process introducing Thiruvalluvar statue in Uttarakhand was initiated by former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Uttarakhand Tarun Vijay.
Initially the statue was planned for installation on the banks of Ganga River at Har ki Pauri in Haridwar in June 2016 but it was delayed after it faced opposition from priests and saints. 

About Thiruvalluvar 

• Thiruvalluvar is renowned Tamil poet and philosopher-saint believed to have lived between 3rd Century BC and 1st Century BC.
• This estimate is based on linguistic analysis of his writings, as there is no historical evidence for when and where he lived
• It is believed that he was born either in ThirunainarKuruchi, a village in Kanyakumari District of Tamil Nadu or in Thiru Mylai (Mylapore) Chennai in Tamil Nadu.
• He is the author of the book ‘Tirukkural (also known as the Kural), a work on ethics. It is one of the most revered ancient literally work in Tamil Language.
• Tirukkural is a classic Tamil sangam literature consisting of 1330 couplets or Kurals. The book is also called as the fifth Veda or ‘Bible of the Tamil Land’.
• The Tamil poet Mamulanar of Sangam period has mentioned that Thiruvalluvar was the greatest Tamil scholar.

Other Statues of Thiruvalluvar

• His 133 foot tall statute at Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu), at southern tip of Indian Peninsula.
• There is also his statue outside the School of Oriental and African studies in Russell Square, London (United Kingdom).

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2016