Leaders pay tributes to Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vice President Venkaiah Naidu took to Twitter to pay tributes to the legendary Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar. Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy also paid floral tribute at his statue.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vice President Venkaiah Naidu paid tribute to legendary Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar on his birth anniversary.

PM Modi tweeted, "I bow to the venerable Thiruvalluvar on Thiruvalluvar Day. His thoughts and works reflect the immense knowledge as well as the wisdom he was blessed with. People across generations have been positively impacted by his ideals. I urge more youngsters across India to read the Kural.".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu tweeted "Remembering great Tamil Poet, philosopher and saint, Thiruvalluvar on his Jayantitoday. Thirukkural authored by him provides guidance to humankind on how to lead a noble life." Vice President Venkaiah Naidu tweeted. "Considered as one of the greatest classics in Tamil Literature on morality, values and ethics, the treatise on a variety of subjects, including governance remains relevant for all times", he added

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on Twitter

Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy pay tribute to poet Thiruvalluvar

The Union Territory of Puducherry remembered Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar on his birth anniversary on Friday. Chief Minister V Narayanasamy paid floral tributes to a statue of the poet. Territorial Assembly Speaker Sivakolundhu, Agriculture and Education Minister R Kamalakannan, legislators and leaders of different Tamil outfits also paid tributes.

Nirmala Sitharaman quoted Thiruvalluvar during budget speech

One such incident was when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman dropped a poetic reference during her Budget 2020 address, as she mentioned Thiruvalluvar while talking about the 5 crown jewels of a good country.

Who is Thiruvalluvar?

The legendary Tamil poet and philosopher is known for his collection of couplets, Thirukkural, which addresses topics such as ethics, politics, economics, relationships, patriotism and religion. He is believed to have lived in Mylapore, a neighbourhood in the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu. However, his floruit ranges between the 4th century CE to 6th century CE based on traditional accounts and linguistic analysis of his writings.

Credited to have influenced a wide range of scholars down the ages, he is venerated as a great sage for his literary works. His most famous work ''Thirukkural'' consists of 1,330 couplets and is divided into three books - each with aphoristic teachings on virtue, wealth and love. Written over 1,500 years ago, it is still today regarded as one of the greatest pieces of literature on ethics and morality.

Thiruvalluvar day was first observed on May 17 and 18 while, now, it is celebrated on January 15 or 16 in Tamil Nadu, part of Pongal celebrations.