The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Institute to bring out edition of classical Tamil literature

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Tuesday, Aug 31, 2010
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Institute to bring out edition of classical Tamil literature

R. Vimal Kumar

Central Institute of Classical Tamil to digitise inscriptions

41 literary works to be compiled for publication
Authorities should be careful while carrying out stone quarry operations

Tirupur: Calling for greater awareness among the masses to preserve the age-old inscriptions, literature and historic monuments, the Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT) Fellow Arimalam S. Padmanabhan said that the institute would be soon bringing out a ‘definitive edition' of classical Tamil literature.

“The CICT, which functions under the Union Ministry for Human Resource Development, will be compiling 41 literary works in Tamil namely Tholkappiyam, Sangam literature and Silapathikaram, among others, for the publication,” he said.

Conference

Mr. Padmanabhan was speaking to The Hindu on the sidelines of a conference organised by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers Association for sculptors, students and researchers to reiterate the need for preserving epigraphs and other historic structures, at Avinashi on Sunday.

Mr. Padmanabhan said that the institute had also undertaken a project to digitise all those inscriptions made on the stones and on other historic monuments in the State before the fifth century, considered as the classical age of Tamil history.

Another interesting project of the CICT was the plan to translate the entire 41 literary works into various national and international languages, he said.

“We will first bring out the English version followed by others,” he said.

Survey

The institute, according to Mr. Padmanabhan, is presently carrying out a dialectal survey in an attempt to compile various dialects as well as slangs used in different parts of the State.

Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers Association State general secretary S. Tamizhselvan opined that the authorities concerned should be careful while carrying out stone quarry operations since many of them could contain inscriptions that depict the Tamil culture and history.

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