Thiruvalluvar

The state of Tamil Nadu celebrates Thiruvalluvar Day during Pongal celebrations. Every year, the Thiruvalluvar Day is celebrated on the second day of Tamil month “thai”.

Thiruvalluvar

• Thiruvalluvar is a Tamil poet and is best known as the author of Thirukkural. Thirukkural is a collection of couplets on political and economic matters, ethics and love.
• There are no known details about the life of Thiruvalluvar. However, he is believed to have lived near Chennai between fourth and sixth century.
• In 2005, a research team from the Kanyakumari Historical and Cultural Research Centre (KHCRC) claimed that Valluvar was born in Thirunayanarkurichi, Kanyakumari. This claim was based on an old Kani tribal leader. According to the research team, Thiruvalluvar ruled the Valluvanadu territory in the hilly tracts of Kanyakumari.
• Apart from Thirukkural, Thiruvalluvar has also written “Gnana Vettiyan” and “Pancharathnam”. These books contribute to tamil science, siddha medicines and literature.

About Thirukkural

The Kural (couplet) literature has three parts. They are aram (virtue), porul (wealth) and inbam (love). The couplets aim at attaining ultimate salvation.

Tribute to Thiruvalluvar

In 1976, Valluvar Kottam was built in Chennai. It houses one of the largest auditoriums in Asia. A 133-foot-tall statue of Thiruvalluvar was built at Kanyakumari. The number 133 has its significance. Thirukkural written by the legend has 1330 couplets and the couplets are divided into 133 sections.  Thus the height of the statue of Thiruvalluvar is 133 foot.

G U Pope

George Uglow Pope translated Thirukkural in English. He came to India under Anglican Christian Missions He lived in 19^th century. He spent more than forty years in Tamil Nadu and translated tamil literature in English.

Other translations of Thirukkural

Thirukkural was translated into Latin in 1730. This helped to make the work known to European intellectuals.

Month: Current Affairs - January, 2021