Thiruvalluvar Day

• 16 Jan 2021

Why in News

The Prime Minister remembered Thiruvalluvar on the occasion of Thiruvalluvar Day (15^th January 2021), observed to mark the birth anniversary of Tamil poet and philosopher.

Key Points

• About the Thiruvalluvar Day:
  
  • It was first celebrated on 17^th-18^th May in 1935.
  • In the present time, it is usually observed either on 15^th or 16^th January in Tamil Nadu and is a part of Pongal celebrations.
• About Thiruvalluvar:
  
  • Thiruvalluvar, also called Valluvar, was a Tamil poet-saint.
    
    • He is regarded as a cultural and moral icon for Tamils across caste and religious lines.
  • The period when he lived is debated, as is his religious identity.
    
    • Some place him in the third or fourth century; others put him in the eighth or ninth.
    • Some call him a Hindu; some trace his past to Jainism; Dravidian groups count him as a saint, as he dismissed the caste system.
  • His primary work Thirukkural (contribution to Tamil Literature) contains 1330 couplets (kurals).
    
    • The text is divided into three parts with teachings on dharma, artha, and kama (virtue, wealth and love).
• Social Significance of Thiruvalluvar:
  
  • A statue of the legendary Tamil poet was unveiled in Ulsoor, near Bengaluru, in 2009. A statue of Valluvar was also erected outside the School of Oriental and African Studies in Russell Square, London.
    
    • A 133-foot tall statue of Thiruvalluvar stands at Kanyakumari as well.
  • The Thiruvalluvar University was established in Vellore district of Tamilnadu by the Government of Tamilnadu in October 2002.
  • In 1976, a temple-memorial called Valluvar Kotam was built in Chennai and houses one of the largest auditoriums in Asia.
  • In the early 16^th century, a temple dedicated to Thiruvalluvar was built within the Ekambareswarar temple complex in Mylapore, Chennai.

Source: PIB