R. Ilankumaranar

இந்தப் பக்கத்தை தமிழில் வாசிக்க: இரா. இளங்குமரனார் ‎

Pulavar Ira. Ilankumaranar

R. Ilankumaranar (Pulavar Ira. Ilankumaranar) (January 30, 1930 - July 25, 2021) was a Tamil scholar, publisher, orator and an activist of the Tamil Movement. He conducted about 5,000 marriages in the ancient Tamil fashion. He was the author of more than fifty books on research and commentary.

Birth, Education

R. Ilankumaranar was born Krishnan on January 30, 1930 in Vazha Vandal Puram, Tirunelveli district to Ramu (Padikka Ramar) and Vazhavanda Ammai. After finishing high school, he worked as a school teacher. In 1951, he passed the Pulavar examination from Chennai University. He was conferred the Doctoral degree (D.Lit) in literature by Bharathidasan University.

Personal Life

After getting married at the age of 16, R. Ilankumaranar (August 04, 1946) got a job as a teacher at Karivalam Vanda Nallur school near Sankarankoil. Since he was told that a civil servant should refrain from attending other events or publishing articles, he resigned from the post and joined another private school. After passing the Pulavar examinations, he entered the Government sector taking posts such as the Tamil Teacher in Thirupparankundram M.M. High School, the Headmaster in charge of the High School, the Researcher at Madurai Kamaraj University and the Linguist in the Tamil Etymology Dictionary Program.

Ilankumaranar

Public Life

Pulavar Ira. Ilankumaranar

Ilankumaranar’s life took place in three domains: Tamil Studies, Publication of Tamil books and Dissemination of Tamil Culture. He was also interested in social reform. He regretted seeing one of his students become a widow, and, for her rehabilitation, wrote a book called Vidhavai Kural (Widow's Voice) and later renamed it Inba Vazhvu (Pleasant Life) and published it with a foreword by Mu. Varadarajan.

He was interested in conducting marriages in the ancient Tamil tradition as an alternative to Vedic marriages. This work, which he began in 1951, continued until he was 92. He conducted 4,865 Tamil marriages. He also conducted the Puthumanai Pugu Vizha (Moving in Ceremony) and Manivizha (The Diamond Jubilee) in the ancient tradition of Tamil.

He set up the Pavanar library in Madurai Thirunagar. He established an organization called Thiruvalluvar Thavachalai in Allur, on the south  bank of Cauvery, west of Tiruchirappalli and carried out Tamil work. With 1330 pebbles collected from all over Tamil Nadu from 1984 to 1994, he erected three small dunes behind the statue of Valluvar to commemorate the 1330 Kurals. He also ran a library there with 45,000 books. Later he donated 40,000 of them to the S.R.M. University.

With the aim to introduce the ancient Tamil literature to young children, he wrote introductory texts in a simple language on Tholkappiyam, Thirukkural, ThiruMurugatruPadai, Porunaratru Padai, Sirupanatru Padai, Perumpanatru Padai, Mullaipattu, Madurai Kanchi, Nedunalvadai, and Kurinjipattu. The pamphlets, which were only about 20 to 30 pages long, were published and distributed monthly by the Madurai Puratchi Kavignar Mandram (Madurai Revolutionary Poets' Forum).

While working as a teacher in the M.M. High School, Thirupparangundram, he became the secretary of the Tamilkappu Kazhagam (Save Tamil Organization), which was started by Ilakkuvanar. He was the Secretary of the Madurai District Tamil Teachers' Association and the organizer of the selection committee. He was a member of the Board of Governors of the Fourth Tamil Sangam, Madurai. He wrote a historical non-fiction book on the Madurai Tamil Sangam. For some time he was a visiting professor at the Madurai Kamaraj University.

Literary life

He compiled the complete works of Devaneya Pavanar, Pavendar Bharathidasan and Tholkappiyar, which were published by Ilangovan of Tamilman Publishers. He completed the Kundalakesi, an incomplete text among the Aimperum Kappiyangal (The Five Great epics), and released it in 1958 at the Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai. in 1963, Prime Minister Nehru released his book Thirukural Katturai Thoguppu (Thirukural- Collection of Essays). In 2003, during the work of compiling the Sangam Literary Series on behalf of the Tirukovilur Madam near Karaikudi, the then President of the Republic, Abdul Kalam released a book written by him on the subject. The World Tamil Research Institute, Chennai has compiled his works into 40 volumes under the general title Ilankumanarar Tamil Valam. His text in three volumes entitled Thirukkural Vazhviyal Kalanjiyam is a remarkable work. He retrieved the ancient Tamil grammar book Kakkaippadinium when the Tamil intellectual world thought it was gone.

Documentaries, Biographies

Neyveli A. Senthil and Akila produced a documentary, for which Vergal Ramalingam was a consultant, to showcase Ilankumaranar’s service to Tamil.

Awards

• Nallasiriyar Virudhu (Best Teacher Award) -1978
• Thiru.Vi.Ka. Virudhu -1994
• Periyar Virudhu - 1997
• Kambar Virudhu - 2000
• Thamizh Iyakka Semmal Virudhu 2003
• Thirukkural Semmal Virudhu - 2004
• Ulaga Perunthamizhar Virudhu - 2004
• Pachamuthu Perunthamizhar Virudhu - Lifetime Achievement Award - 2012
• North American Tamil Union Federation - Lifetime Achievement Award
• Canada Literary Garden Award

Death

Ilankumaranar passed away on 25 July 2021 in Madurai Thirunagar.

Nationalization

The Government of Tamil Nadu nationalized his books on December 09, 2021.

Literary Significance

Ilankumaranar was one of the final links in the Tamil movement that began in Tamil Nadu in the nineteenth century. He was actively involved in the first two of the three domains of Tamil Iyakkam (Tamil Movement), namely Publishing Movement, Thani Tamil Iyakkam (Pure Tamil Movement) and Tamilisai Movement (Tamil Music Movement). He wrote the history of the Tamil music movement. He was a field Activist of the Tamil Cultural Recovery. He proposed Thirukural as the source text of Tamil culture. He was one of the next generation of Tamil scholars who had no religious affiliation like Shaivism. Ilankumaranar was notable among those who sought to frame the policies of the Tamil movement as a policy body centered on Thirukkural.

Works

1. Anbum Arivum (Songs for Children)
2. RathaKarai (Play)
3. Navalar Bharathiyar (Biography)
4. Thondai Nattu Vanigam
5. Mupperum Pulavargal
6. Annal Abraham
7. Thirukkural Stories, Essays
8. Kappiya Kathaigal (10 volumes each)
9. Mullavin Kathaigal Muppathu
10. Inba Vazhvu
11. Mel Narpathu Keezh Narpathu (Poetry)
12. KundalaKesi (Pathippum Ezhuthum)
13. KakkaiPadiniyam (Editor)
14. Thagadoor Yathirai Moolamum Uraiyum (Commentator)
15. Perumporul Vilakkam
16. Tholkappiya Vazhiviyal Vilakkam
17. Pavanar Kadavul Nambikkaiyum samaya saalbum -2008
18. Thirukkural Vazhviyal Kalanjiyam (3 volumes)
19. Uvamai Vazhi Araneri Vilakkam (3 volumes) - 2006
20. Thirukkural Karuthurai - 2009
21. Thiru.Vi.Ka thamizhkodai Arimugam - 2006
22. Thiru.Vi.ka Munnuraigal - 2006
23. Eezham Thandha Iniya Thamizhkodai - 2006
24. Devaneyam (Pavanar) - 13 volumes (Editor) - 2004
25. Ilakkiya selvar Iruvar
26. Thamizhar Vazhviyal Ilakkanam
27. Katturai Payirchi
28. Kalvi Selvam
29. Mozhi Gnayiru
30. Iyarkai Inbam
31. Thenaruvi
32. Thani Padal Kanichuvai
33. Thamizh Urai
34. Thamizh Nooru
35. Nalla Manavanaga
36. Thamizh Valam Sol
37. Ilakkiya Vagai Agarathi
38. Kundrakudi Adigalarin Thirukkural Pani
39. Vela Karuthu Kalanjiyam
40. Thirukkuralukku Urai Thirukkurale
41. Thirukkural Maraburai
42. Panar
43. Manavala Payirchi
44. Pavanar Padalgal
45. Ilakkana Varalaru
46. Vaiyai Valam
47. Oru Pul Than Varalaru (Autobiography)
48. Purathirattu
49. Thirukkural Vazhviyal Urai
50. Inikkum Ilakkanam
51. Ilakkana Agarathi (Ainthilakkanam Agam Puram)
52. Ilakkana Agarathi (Ainthilakkanam Ezhuthu, Sol)
53. Ilakkana Agarathi (Ainthilakkanam Yappu, Ani)
54. Inai Sol agarathi
55. Ilakkana Merkol Vilakkam
56. Uraiyasiriyargal Kanda Sorporul Nunmai Vilakkam
57. Kalaviyal Karigai
58. Suvadikkalai
59. Suvadi Pathippiyal Varalaru
60. Senthamizh Or Arimugam
61. Senthamizh Sorporul Kalanjiyam
62. Thani Thamizh Iyakka Varalaru
63. Thamizhar Vazhviyal Ilakkanam
64. Thamizhisai Iyakkam
65. Devaneya Pavanar
66. Tholkappiya Sorporul Kalanjiyam
67. Baratha Venba Urai Vilakkam (Editor)
68. Pavanar Ponmozhigal, Uvamaigal
69. Maraimalai Adigal Araichi Thiran
70. Pavanar Varalaru
71. Maraimalai Adigal
72. Muthu Mozhi Kalanjiyam (5 volumes)
73. Vattara Vazhakku Sol Agarathi
74. Yapparungal Viruthi (with old viruthi)
75. Vazhakku Sol Agarathi
76. Naladiyar Thelivurai
77. Engum Pozhiyum Inba Thamizh
78. Thamizh Ayiram
79. Pavanar Varlatru Moolagangal
80. Thirukkuralil Ariviyal (Science in Thirukkural)
81. Idai Sorkal
82. Madurai Tamil Sanga Varalaru

References

• தமிழக அரசின் திரு.வி.க. விருது பெற்ற முதுமுனைவர் இரா.இளங்குமரனார் காலமானார். - Tamil Today News
• புலவர் இரா. இளங்குமரனார் – திராவிடன்
• உலகத் தமிழாராய்ச்சி நிறுவனம் : International Institute of Tamil Studies
• தனித்தமிழ் இயக்கம். புலவர் இரா.இளங்குமரனார் உரை - YouTube
• தமிழறிஞர் நுால்கள் நாட்டுடைமை| Dinamalar
• மூத்த தமிழறிஞர் இரா.இளங்குமரனார் மறைவு: அரசு மரியாதையுடன் அடக்கம் செய்ய கோரிக்கை | Tamil scholar Ilangumaranar passed away - hindutamil.in
• உலகப் பெருந்தமிழர் - தமிழ்த்திரு இரா. இளங்குமரனார் - வாழ்வும் பணியும்
• முதுமுனைவர் இரா.இளங்குமரனார்
• முனைவர் மு.இளங்கோவன் - Dr. Mu. Elangovan: இசைத்தமிழ் இன்பத்துப்பால் நூல்வெளியீடு
• தனித்தமிழ் இயக்கம். புலவர் இரா.இளங்குமரனார் உரை - YouTube
• தொல்காப்பியச் சிறப்புகள் – முதுமுனைவர் இரா. இளங்குமரனாருடன் சிறப்பு நேர்காணல் - YouTube

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