Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

Tirukurral palm leaf manuscripts found

By Our Staff Reporter

NAGERCOIL DEC. 27 . The Nagercoil-based Kanyakumari Historical and Cultural Research Centre has discovered palm leaf manuscripts of the Tirukkural, a magnum opus in Tamil literature authored by the Tamil savant Tiruvalluvar. The manuscripts were found at Nallur about eight km from here recently by S. Padmanabhan, general secretary.

All the 1,330 couplets were inscribed on about 266 palm leaves and each leaf contains five couplets each of which was written in a single line and two leaves made a chapter. The manuscripts were in the custody of M. Muthukumaraswamy Pillai. His family was said to have migrated from Chellampudur in South Pandinadu to Nanjilnadu— the present Agasteeswaram and Thovalai taluks of Kanyakumari district— and settled at Nallur. His father, Maharaja Pillai, could have copied the entire masterpiece possibly to preserve the rich heritage, Dr. Padmanabhan said adding the family took pride in conducting the guru pooja annually.

The family members would congregate and garland Tiruvalluvar portrait. The entire Tirukkural would be read out on the occasion. According to Dr. Padmanabhan, following his recent submission to the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, that Tiruvalluvar was born in Kanyakumari district, the President directed him to undertake a detailed research and unearth archaeological evidence to prove his point. Shortly after his return from the national capital, he undertook a research and traced the palm leaf manuscripts. The manuscripts would be taken out only during the Tamil month of Vaikasi for performing the guru pooja.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Show of unity marks DMK protest
• Karunanidhi rules out patch-up with State BJP
• Divorcee plea against talaaq mode dismissed
• `Mamallapuram to get major facelift'
• Egmore-Villupuram BG line ready for electrification
• Tirukurral palm leaf manuscripts found
• CRA meet in early January to save samba crop
• Azhagiri presence enthuses cadres
• Christian council seeks protection for Tirumavalavan

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu