#Thiruvalluvar Day: kneeling in the Memory of greatest Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar

Chennai, Jan 16: “One is not great because of one’s birth in the noble family; one is not low because of one’s low birth”, the groundbreaking statement by great Tamil poet, Thiruvalluvar, commonly know as Valluvar, is a beacon for many against Casteism still today.

 

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has greeted people of Tamil Nadu on Thiruvalluvar Day. Paying homage to this great saint, he said, “Saint Thiruvalluvar’s teachings and writings in Thirukkural has a great impact on people and it will continue to inspire many in the times to come.

 

 

 

‘Thiruvalluvar Day’ or ‘Mattu Pongal’ celebrated on the day after 3 day Pongal celebrations. A celebration of Day in Tamil Nadu, Conducted in the memory of Saint Thiruvalluvar who lived in the period Between 2nd century BC to 8th century AD. He is the creator of “Thirukkural”, Tamil Text depicting the Vedic scriptures in his own style of 7-word couplets. Thirukkural is collection of couplets on ethics, political and economic matters, and love.

 

The Thirukkural is considered as ‘the great work in Tamil Literature’ and one of the finest work on ethics and morality. The 1,330 couplets (Kurals) authored by Vaulluvar are compared to the Bible or work of Plato.

 

The information about him comes from the legendary accounts and little is known with certainty about his family, background, birthplace and religious affections. There is common belief is that he lived in Madurai and later in a town of Mylapore near Chennai. His work dated variously from 4th century BCE to 5TH century CE, based on traditional accounts and linguistic analysis.

 

Valluvar has literally influenced every scholar in his age across Ethical, Social, Political, Economic, Religious, Philosophical and Spiritual spheres.

 

Because of this reputation, the life, culture, and ethics of Tamil are solely defined by his work and Kural literature. He is known by numerous epithets such as Saint, First Poet, Divine Poet, Brahma, and Great Scholar.

 

It is common knowledge that Valluvar either belongs to Hinduism or Jainism. Valluvar’s treatment to the concept of ‘Ahimsa’ or non-violence, is principal concept for both religions. However, owing to the Kural text's non-denominational nature, almost every religious group in India, including Christianity, has claimed the work and its author as one of their own.

 

Tamil Nadu government passed the resolution to celebrate a day known as “Thiruvalluvar Day”’ in the memory of Valluvar on 17 January 1935. In the coming years, this day may be declared as a public holiday in the Union Territory of Puducherry.

 

A 133 ft tall statue of Thiruvalluvar stands at the tip of the Coromandel coast, near Kanyakumari. Chennai bus drivers adopted the poet as their patron saint.