Trinco Tamil scholar's birthday remembered

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 September 2003, 02:01 GMT]
140th birthday of Trincomalee Tamil scholar late Mr.T.T.Kanagasundarampillai was celebrated with the release of a book about his literary works Sunday evening at an event held at Trincomalee Sri Koneswara Hindu College which was organized by the Trincomalee Muththamil Valarkalai Mantram and Trincomalee District Young Men Hindu Association.

Photograph of late Kanagasundarampillai

Mr. Kanagasundarampillai played a valuable role in publishing the Tamil Lexicon on behalf of the Madras government as the senior assistant editor of the publication. Trincomalee should be proud of him for this singular service to Tamil language, according to an appreciation written by a veteran Tamil journalist Mr.S.T.Sivanayagam on the services of Mr. Kanagasundarampillai about twenty years ago.

Mr.Sivanayagam also hails from Trincomalee.

Presiding over the event held at Trincomalee Sunday evening, Attorney-at-Law Mr.K.Sivapalan appealed to citizens of Trincomalee to honour the late Tamil scholar of Trincomalee by naming schools and other institutions after him.

Mr. Sithy Amarasingham, head of the Eelathucholai Publishing house in Trincomalee said arrangement has been made to declare the year from August 24, 2003 to August 24, 2004 as the year of Kanagasundarampillai in Trincomalee district. Essay competitions will be held in schools to instill in the minds of younger generation the services rendered by late Mr. Kanagasundarampillai to the development of Tamil language, he said.

Pundit R.Vadivelu released the first copy of the book on late Mr. Kanagasundarampillai compiled and published by the Eelathucholai Publishing House to Mr.Kuralamutham Vinayagasothy.



Pundit Vadivelu releases the first copy of book late Tamil scholar Kanagasundarampillai to Mr.Kuralamutham Vinaygasothy



Mr. Kanagasundarampillai was born on 24th August 1863 in Trincomalee. At the age of seventeen he left to South India and became a graduate in English language. He joined Madras, Saitahpettai English Teachers’ Training College as a lecturer. At the same time he served as a Tamil teacher at Madras Christian College and Pachchaiappan College. He was the author of several books. As he had mastered Sanskrit he translated the chapters of Kishkintha Kandam and Sunthara Kandam of Valmiki Ramayanam into Tamil. He paraphrased several Sangam literatures. He brought several ancient Tamil literatures found in Ola form in print, Tamil sources said

Mr. Kanagasundarampillai died in the year 1922