Kamban Kazhagam (Kamban Academy) is a Tamil organization which was founded to promote Ramayana of Tamil poet Kambar . The organisation was formed by Tamil politician Saw Ganesan at Karaikudi in 1939. Kamban Kazhagam Chennai was fortified by R.M.Veerappan and Justice M M Ismail.
21-539: Kambar was a 12th-century Tamil poet who wrote Kamba Ramayanam , the life of Rama of Ayodhya . Kamba Ramayana differed on several aspects from the original version of Ramayana written by Sanskrit poet Valmiki . Kamba Ramayana emphasised Tamil culture and tradition more. It is considered as one of the greatest epic of the Tamil literature . In 1937, Chief minister of Madras Presidency C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) introduced compulsory use of Indo-Aryan language Hindi in
42-863: A gopi in love with god Krishna. Kulasekhara Alvar is generally identified with Kulasekhara Varma, the medieval dramatist from the Chera royal family. Kulasekhara Varma describes himself as the Keralakula-chudamani or "the Crown Jewel of the Chera dynasty", the Keraladhinatha or "the King of the Chera Country" and Mahodayapura-paramesvara or "the Lord of the City of Makotai". He is known as
63-463: A minister who felt jealous of the favor showered by the king on Vaishnavites , trumped up on the devotees a false charge. The king vindicated their innocence by inserting his own hand in a pot containing snakes and drawing it out unscathed. Kulasekhara later threw off the reigns of kingdom and started out on a pilgrimage to the holy site of Srirangam . He spent there some years, worshiping his deity, and married his daughter Cherakula Valli Nachiyar to
84-540: Is a Tamil epic that was written by the Tamil poet Kambar during the 12th century. Based on Valmiki 's Ramayana (which is in Sanskrit ), the story describes the legend of King Rama of Ayodhya . However, the Ramavataram is different from the Sanskrit version in many aspects – both in spiritual concepts and in the specifics of the storyline. This historic work is considered by both Tamil scholars and
105-585: Is a manifestation of Vishnu himself. The chapter Sundara Kandam is considered very auspicious and is the most popular. The chapter talks about the hardships faced by the main characters in the epic, their practice of restraint, and their hopes for a better tomorrow. Kamba Ramayanam has been translated into English by P. S. Sundaram . Nityananda Mohapatra translated the Tamil work into Odia . Kulasekhara Alvar Kulasekhara ( Tamil : குலசேகரர் ; IAST : Kulaśekhara) ( fl. 9th century CE), one of
126-462: Is divided into six chapters, called Kandam in Tamil. The Kandams are further divided into 113 sections called Padalam (படலம்) in Tamil. These 113 sections contain approximately 10569 verses of the epic. As with many historic compilations, it was very difficult to discard the interpolations and addendum which have been added over a period of time to the original. This task was taken up a committee of scholars headed by T. P. Meenakshisundaram called
147-556: Is effective in bringing out the emotion and mood for storytelling. He achieves the Virutham and Santham by effective choice of words. This epic is read by many Hindus during prayers. In some households, the entire epic is read once during the Tamil calendar 's month of Aadi (mid-July to mid-August). It is also read in Hindu Temples and other religious associations. On many occasions, Kambar talks about surrendering to Rama, who
168-539: Is known as "Tetrarum Tiral", is compiled as a part of Nalayira Divya Prabandham . The Trikkulasekharapuram Temple in Kodungallur is considered as the Alvar's birthplace. Vaishnavite traditions describe the Alvar as a king of the Chera royal family of the western coast (Kerala). Scholars identify Kulasekhara with royal Chera playwright Kulasekhara Varma and Sthanu Ravi Kulasekhara (ruled 844/45 – c. 870/71 AD),
189-521: The Kamban Kazhagam (Kamban Academy). The compilation published by this committee in 1976 is what is used as the standard today. Valmiki's Ramayana in Sanskrit has seven chapters. The Tamil poet Ottakoothar wrote Uttara Kandam , the seventh (last chapter) kandam of the Tamil epic Ramayanam . Kamban's use of Virutham (Sanskrit: vṛttam) and Santham (Sanskrit: chandas ) in various verses
210-578: The Srirangam Temple. He also gave away his whole wealth as dowry, built the Chenaivenran Mandapa and repaired the prakara of the temple (which was thereafter called "Kulasekhara Tiruvidi"). He then visited the holy temples of Tiruvenkatam, Tiruvayodhya, Tillai-Chitrakutam, Tirukannapuram, Tirumalirunjolai and Tiruvitruvakkode and finally settled down at Brahmadesam near Tirukkurukur, the birthplace of Namma Alvar (where he died at
231-504: The age of sixty seven). The shrine of Cherakula Valli Nachiyar within the Srirangam Temple complex commemorates the daughter of king Kulasekhara. Kulasekhara was the author of "Perumal Tirumoli" in Tamil and " Mukundamala " in Sanskrit . Kulasekhara Alvar's poems are devotional in nature, being dedicated to the most prominent avataras of god Vishnu - Rama and Krishna . He identifies himself with several roles in
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#1732771792156252-445: The author of two Sanskrit plays called "Tapatisamvarana" and "Subhadradhananjaya" and the Sanskrit champu kavya "Ascharya Manjari" (perhaps also the author of the Sanskrit play "Vicchinnabhiseka"). An inscription from Chembra (954/55 AD) also mentions the performance of the play "Tapatisamvarana". The art-form known as Kudiyattam is traditionally associated Kulasekhara Varma and his courtier Tolan . "Dhananjaya Samvarana Dhvani", or
273-473: The earliest known Chera Perumal king of Kerala. Scholars generally identify Kulasekhara with Sthanu Ravi Kulasekhara , the earliest known Chera Perumal king of Kerala. The following is the traditional biography of king Kulasekhara from sources generally dated to 12th-14th century AD. Kulasekhara was born at Vanchi , in the western country, in Kali Era 28 to the Chera ruler Dridhavrata. When
294-461: The educational institutions. To protest this move Self-Respect Movement leader Periyar E. V. Ramasamy launched Anti-Hindi agitations . Periyar said that introduction of Hindi was an attempt to destroy Dravidian culture by Aryans . Periyar said that Ramayana was about conquest of Dravidian King Ravana by Aryan King Rama. Periyar burned the epic Kamba Ramayana and alleged that Kambar destroyed Tamil culture by portraying Ravana as evil character in
315-601: The epic. During that period, Saw Ganesan, an admirer of Kamba Ramayana, thought that Kambar gave importance to the Tamil language and culture. He decided to popularize the Kambar's literary talent. He founded Kamban Kazhagam in 1939 at Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu , India. Literacy critic, T. K. Chidambaranatha Mudaliar , became President of the academy. Kambar inaugurated his work on Hastham star in Panguni month of Tamil calendar . Hence, Saw Ganesan chose 2–3 April 1939 to organise
336-571: The events of their lives. A devotee of god Rama, he considered the painful experiences of Rama or his aging father Dasaratha to be his own. His devotion was so intense that he worshipped the devotees as forms of Vishnu. In one song, he identifies himself with Devaki , the real mother of Krishna, from whom Krishna was taken away to Gokula where Nanda and Yasoda , the foster parents, looked after him. Kulasekhara expresses Devaki's desolation at being separated from her child and for union with him. In some poems, Kulasekhara also identifies himself with
357-587: The first Kamban festival. He celebrated the final day of festival at Nattarasankottai where Kambar's tomb is situated. Kamban Kazhagam organises the festival every year by conducting seminars and debates on Kambar's Ramayana. Upon this success many other Kamban Kazhagam were founded across India and overseas where the Tamil diaspora lived. Kamba Ramayanam Divisions Sama vedic Yajur vedic Atharva vedic Vaishnava puranas Shaiva puranas Shakta puranas The Ramavataram , popularly referred to as Kamba Ramayanam ,
378-513: The general public as one of the greatest literary works in Tamil literature . Kambar wrote this epic with the patronage of Thiruvennai Nallur Sadayappa Vallal , a chieftain of the Pannai lineage. In gratitude to his patron, Kamban references his name once in every 1,000 verses . Even before Kambar wrote the Ramavataram in Tamil in the 12 century CE, there are many ancient references to
399-415: The prince came of age, his father abdicated the kingdom and retired from public life, and the new king Kulasekhara ascended the throne. Kulasekhara was a great devotee of god Vishnu . His piety was so great that on one occasion when the story was being narrated as to how demon king Ravana abducted princess Sita, he at once issued orders to marshal out his army for the invasion of Lanka. In another instance,
420-646: The story of Ramayana, implying that the story was familiar in the Tamil lands even before the Common Era. References to the story can be found in the Sangam literature of Akanaṉūṟu ,(dated 200 BCE–300 CE) and Purananuru (dated 200 BCE–300 CE), the twin epics of Silappatikaram (dated 6th century CE) and Manimekalai , and the Alvar literature of Kulasekhara Alvar , Thirumangai Alvar , Andal and Nammalvar (dated between 8th and 10th centuries CE). The book
441-467: The twelve Vaishnavite alvars , was a bhakti theologian and devotional poet from medieval south India.He is considered as the incarnation of kaustubh mani which hangs around the neck of Lord Vishnu . The Trikkulasekharapuram Temple in Kodungallur is considered as the Alvar's birthplace, located in modern-day Kerala region. He was the author of Perumal Tirumoli in Tamil and " Mukundamala " in Sanskrit . The Perumal Tirumoli, whose second decade
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