It is no wonder that the interesting researches made by eminent linguist Devaneya Pavanar into the roots of numerous Tamil words created a great number of readers across the state. But, surprisingly, his books and research articles inspired a team of Tamil lovers of Punjai Puliampatty, a small village in the then Coimbatore district.
It is no wonder that the interesting researches made by eminent linguist Devaneya Pavanar into the roots of numerous Tamil words created a great number of readers across the state. But, surprisingly, his books and research articles inspired a team of Tamil lovers of Punjai Puliampatty, a small village in the then Coimbatore district.
The selfless multilingual research scholar had a mastery over several languages including English, French, Greek, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon and he was an author of a great number of books including The Primary Classical Language of the World, The Manifold Defects of Madras University Tamil Lexicon, An Epitome of the Lemurian Language and its Ramifications, Oppian Mozhi Nool, Sollaraichi Katturaikal and so on, which are all nationalized by the government today.
A staunch proponent of Thani Thamizh Iyakkam (Pure Tamil Movement) and the pioneer to initiate the Tamil Etymological Project, Pavanar’s research into Tamil etymology created numerous readers in Coimbatore too.
“We used to invite Pavanar to address at our association Maraimalai Adigal Mandram’s meetings at Punjai Puliampatti. I remember his addresses on the glories of the Tamil language in the meetings presided over by Pa.Su.Maniam, a legendary Tamil scholar and Tamil professor in the Government Arts College, Coimbatore” recalls 81-year-old Elamurugan, a retired Tamil teacher and secretary of the Maraimalai Adigal Mandram.
Elamurugan also recollects that two of Pavanar’s books Indhiyaal Thamizh Evvaru Kedum and Vadamozhi Varalaru were printed at Tamil enthusiast Aadalarasu’s printing press Maraimalai Achahagam at Punjai Puliyampatti.
Pavanar, who was born at Sankara Nayinar Kovil in Tirunelveli district, had a flair for learning languages even in his school days at Palayamkottai. An ardent reader of the books by scholars Robert Caldwell, Maraimalai Adigal, and Parithimar Kalaignar, which threw new lights on the origins of the Tamil language, Pavanar followed their path and argued in his research works that Tamil is the most natural language of the world and it contributed its vocabulary to many other languages including Sanskrit. However, he left his family in abject poverty, devoting around six decades in his lifetime for his researches into Tamil.
“At a time Pavanar’s family was experiencing a hard-up situation, the members of Maraimalai Adigal Mandram would collect his books, sell them to readers and send money to him every month, which was Coimbatore’s great help to the multi-lingual scholar” avers Elamurugan.
He also recalls an incident that Coimbatore’s popular scientist G.D. Naidu bought a series of books by Pavanar at the conference on Anti-Hindi Agitation, which was convened by the scientist in the city.
The selfless multilingual research scholar had a mastery over several languages including English, French, Greek, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon and he was an author of a great number of books including The Primary Classical Language of the World, The Manifold Defects of Madras University Tamil Lexicon, An Epitome of the Lemurian Language and its Ramifications, Oppian Mozhi Nool, Sollaraichi Katturaikal and so on, which are all nationalized by the government today.
A staunch proponent of Thani Thamizh Iyakkam (Pure Tamil Movement) and the pioneer to initiate the Tamil Etymological Project, Pavanar’s research into Tamil etymology created numerous readers in Coimbatore too.
“We used to invite Pavanar to address at our association Maraimalai Adigal Mandram’s meetings at Punjai Puliampatti. I remember his addresses on the glories of the Tamil language in the meetings presided over by Pa.Su.Maniam, a legendary Tamil scholar and Tamil professor in the Government Arts College, Coimbatore” recalls 81-year-old Elamurugan, a retired Tamil teacher and secretary of the Maraimalai Adigal Mandram.
Elamurugan also recollects that two of Pavanar’s books Indhiyaal Thamizh Evvaru Kedum and Vadamozhi Varalaru were printed at Tamil enthusiast Aadalarasu’s printing press Maraimalai Achahagam at Punjai Puliyampatti.
Pavanar, who was born at Sankara Nayinar Kovil in Tirunelveli district, had a flair for learning languages even in his school days at Palayamkottai. An ardent reader of the books by scholars Robert Caldwell, Maraimalai Adigal, and Parithimar Kalaignar, which threw new lights on the origins of the Tamil language, Pavanar followed their path and argued in his research works that Tamil is the most natural language of the world and it contributed its vocabulary to many other languages including Sanskrit. However, he left his family in abject poverty, devoting around six decades in his lifetime for his researches into Tamil.
“At a time Pavanar’s family was experiencing a hard-up situation, the members of Maraimalai Adigal Mandram would collect his books, sell them to readers and send money to him every month, which was Coimbatore’s great help to the multi-lingual scholar” avers Elamurugan.
He also recalls an incident that Coimbatore’s popular scientist G.D. Naidu bought a series of books by Pavanar at the conference on Anti-Hindi Agitation, which was convened by the scientist in the city.