Thiruvalluvar

Why is in news? Thiruvalluvar statue in Cergy, France is a beautiful testament to shared cultural bonds between France and India: PM

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi said that Thiruvalluvar statue in Cergy, France is a beautiful testament to shared cultural bonds between France and India.

Jean-Paul Jeandon, Mayor Cergy, a town in France has posted some pictures about the inauguration of the statue of the Thiruvalluvar statue in Cergy, France.

About:

Thiruvalluvar, also called Valluvar, was a Tamil poet-saint.

The period when he lived is debated, as is his religious identity.

Very little is known about his family background, religious affiliation, or birthplace.

It is believed that he used to live in the town of Mylapore, which in today’s time is a neighbourhood in Chennai.

Some accounts say that he lived from the 8th to the 9th century and some says 3rd-4th century.

Tamil orator and writer and father of the Pure Tamil movement, Maraimalai Adigal deduced 31 BC as the birth year of Valluvar, while Czech scholar in Indian literature and linguistics, Kamil Zvelebil inferred that Thiruvalluvar lived around 500 AD.

He is thought to be linked to Jainism. However, Hindus have also claimed that Thiruvalluvar belonged to hinduism.

Dravidian groups also count him as a saint, as he dismissed the caste system.

He had contributed the Tirukkural or ‘Kural’ to the Sangam literature.

Tirukkural is comprised of 133 sections of 10 couplets each is divided into three books: Aram (virtue), Porul (government and society), and Kamam (love).

The Tirukkural has been compared to the great books of the world’s major religions.

Thiruvalluvar Day was first celebrated on May 17 and 18 in 1935.

In the present time, it is usually observed either on January 15 or 16 in Tamil Nadu and is a part of Pongal celebrations.

In 1976, a temple memorial called Valluvar Kotam was built in Chennai and houses one of the largest auditoriums in Asia.