Students, who know where the river Thames is flowing, can hardly say the origin and ending of river Noyyal, as what they learn from their curriculum are none but dry facts in general history. However, men of erudition in the past recorded the history of their land in the belief that posterity may read it.
Students, who know where the river Thames is flowing, can hardly say the origin and ending of river Noyyal, as what they learn from their curriculum are none but dry facts in general history. However, men of erudition in the past recorded the history of their land in the belief that posterity may read it.
Janendran, a Jain scholar, who lived centuries ago at Vijayamangalam in Kongunadu, was the first scholar to write the history of Kongunadu as “Kongu Mandala Sathakam” Despite his work containing numerous accounts of myths and miracles, none can ignore the fact that his records were the first sources for writing the history of the Kongu region including Coimbatore. Written in the Tamil literary genre “Sathakam” which means a collection of one hundred songs, Kongu Mandala Sathakam provides profound information on Kongunadu.
“With Madhilkarai in the east, Pazhani in the South,
Moon-lit Vellingiri in the west and Perumpalai in north
Fertile in itself and making other lands too fertile
Is Kongunadu, where even messengers of God
Love to live!”
Thus, Kongu Mandala Sathakam describes the borders of Kongunadu.
Born to a Jain priest of Chandraprabha Tirtangara Temple at Vijayamangalam, Janendran displayed his skills in poetry, literature, and oration even while he was a boy. He was given the name “Karmegam” (Rain Cloud) as his speech was like a downpour. From then onwards, Janendran came to be called “Karmega Kavingnar”
With flair to pen the history of Kongunadu, Karmega Kavingnar traveled to distant lands and discussed with numerous scholars at the king’s court and temples. Collecting valuable information from different sources, he, at last, wrote the Kongu Mandala Sathakam.
However, it was T.A Muthusamy Konar of Thiruchengode, who later discovered the palm leaf manuscript of Kongu Mandala Sathakam and published it in book form.
Born to the parents Arthanari Konar and Kathayee Ammal in 1858, Muthusamy Konar was initially working as a “Padimaestry “(A supervisor to monitor laying steps to the hill temple) However, he learned Tamil from Ponnaiah Ubathiyayar and Kathiraiverpillai, an erudite Tamil scholar from Jaffna.
In the year 1912, he discovered a palm leaf manuscript containing some 40 songs of Karmeha Kavingnar’s
Kongu Mandala Sathakam. Realizing its historic value, he traveled all through Kongunadu and recovered the remaining parts of the literature. To write detailed interpretations for the work, he consulted many scholars and deciphered various copper plates and stone inscriptions. At last, he printed the Kongu Mandala Sathakam at “Subbaraya Gounder Achiyanthiram” in 1925 with prologues from eminent scholars including “Tamil Thatha” U Ve Saminatha Iyer. He priced the book at Re 1 .40.
Muthusamy Konar dedicated his entire life to collecting palm-leaf manuscripts and publishing them. He lost his eyesight totally while writing the books” Konguvellalar Kulamanjeri” “Thakkai Ramayanam” and “Kongunadu”
Thousands of manuscripts, which he painstakingly collected throughout his life, gradually perished after his death in 1944.
Janendran, a Jain scholar, who lived centuries ago at Vijayamangalam in Kongunadu, was the first scholar to write the history of Kongunadu as “Kongu Mandala Sathakam” Despite his work containing numerous accounts of myths and miracles, none can ignore the fact that his records were the first sources for writing the history of the Kongu region including Coimbatore. Written in the Tamil literary genre “Sathakam” which means a collection of one hundred songs, Kongu Mandala Sathakam provides profound information on Kongunadu.
“With Madhilkarai in the east, Pazhani in the South,
Moon-lit Vellingiri in the west and Perumpalai in north
Fertile in itself and making other lands too fertile
Is Kongunadu, where even messengers of God
Love to live!”
Thus, Kongu Mandala Sathakam describes the borders of Kongunadu.
Born to a Jain priest of Chandraprabha Tirtangara Temple at Vijayamangalam, Janendran displayed his skills in poetry, literature, and oration even while he was a boy. He was given the name “Karmegam” (Rain Cloud) as his speech was like a downpour. From then onwards, Janendran came to be called “Karmega Kavingnar”
With flair to pen the history of Kongunadu, Karmega Kavingnar traveled to distant lands and discussed with numerous scholars at the king’s court and temples. Collecting valuable information from different sources, he, at last, wrote the Kongu Mandala Sathakam.
However, it was T.A Muthusamy Konar of Thiruchengode, who later discovered the palm leaf manuscript of Kongu Mandala Sathakam and published it in book form.
Born to the parents Arthanari Konar and Kathayee Ammal in 1858, Muthusamy Konar was initially working as a “Padimaestry “(A supervisor to monitor laying steps to the hill temple) However, he learned Tamil from Ponnaiah Ubathiyayar and Kathiraiverpillai, an erudite Tamil scholar from Jaffna.
In the year 1912, he discovered a palm leaf manuscript containing some 40 songs of Karmeha Kavingnar’s
Kongu Mandala Sathakam. Realizing its historic value, he traveled all through Kongunadu and recovered the remaining parts of the literature. To write detailed interpretations for the work, he consulted many scholars and deciphered various copper plates and stone inscriptions. At last, he printed the Kongu Mandala Sathakam at “Subbaraya Gounder Achiyanthiram” in 1925 with prologues from eminent scholars including “Tamil Thatha” U Ve Saminatha Iyer. He priced the book at Re 1 .40.
Muthusamy Konar dedicated his entire life to collecting palm-leaf manuscripts and publishing them. He lost his eyesight totally while writing the books” Konguvellalar Kulamanjeri” “Thakkai Ramayanam” and “Kongunadu”
Thousands of manuscripts, which he painstakingly collected throughout his life, gradually perished after his death in 1944.