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17/01/24 07:16 AM IST

Thiruvalluvar Day

In News
  • Marking Thiruvalluvar Day, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi shared an image of the philosopher-poet in saffron-coloured clothes and described him as “the revered poet, great philosopher and brightest saint of Bharatiya Sanatan tradition”.
Thiruvalluvar
  • Thiruvalluvar is a prominent cultural figure in the region.
  • He may have lived in the 5th century BC or earlier. He is fondly referred to as Valluvar by Tamils.
  • His ‘Tirukkural’, a collection of 1,330 couplets (‘kurals’ in Tamil), are an essential part of every Tamil household — in the same way as, say, the Bhagavad Gita or the Ramayana are in traditional North Indian Hindu households.
  • Thiruvalluvar is revered as an ancient saint, poet, and philosopher by Tamilians, irrespective of their religion.
  • He is an essential anchor for Tamilians in tracing their cultural roots; they are taught to learn his couplets word-for-word and to follow his teachings in their day-to-day life.
Significance
  • Following the recent excavations at Keeladi near Madurai, the Tamil Nadu state archaeological department has unearthed evidence that pushes back the history of the Sangam Era, or Tamilagam, by at least 300 years — from 300 BC to 600 BC.
  • The findings at Keeladi have given Dravidian historians and politicians another weapon to assert their ancient past.
Source- Indian Express

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