Valluvar kottam- Thiruvalluvar

Hello everybody! How are you all? Today I am going to write an article about a noble man of Tamilnadu who is praised even today by the world even though his time period was approximately four thousand years ago. He is the author of the Tirukkural which is considered the best book of the century which explains classic about the ways of how to lead a life. Tirukkural is also called as "Ulaga podhumarai" (common creed) Tamil, which in English means The Common Book of the world. It is called so because, Tirukkural is a separate book which is all beyond religion, tradition, caste, places, creed, sex etc. More precisely the ways of leading a complete life is only stressed greater here.

Thiruvalluvar is believed to have followed the "Samana samayam" the jain religion. His wife was Vasugi. It is believed that Thiruvalluvar was a silk saree weaver for living. Some even say that he was born in Mayilapore, Chennai- Tamil Nadu, but Archaeologists believe that he was born in Kannyakumari, and additionally they even add that Thiruvalluvar was the King of a small piece of land which was called as Valluvan malai (Valluvan hills) and another hill called as Valluvi hill (the wife of Valluvan). They submit the proof of pattayam (a kind of copper plate) has been preserved in by the government and the name of Valluva nadu has appeared in it too. They add saying that Thiruvalluvar and Vasugi used to go on to some long walks in the Mountain and they eat "Thinai maavu", a kind of food which is a small grain flour and it is consumed along with honey.

They have further made conclusions saying that after Thiruvalluvar's death some people started following him and out of several thousand years he emerged out be devotional and saintly that the people started to worship him as god. There was a story which every husband used to say to his wife regarding Thiruvalluvar and Vasuki. In Tamil Nadu there is a tradition that while at the time of having meal a person should sit down on the floor and eat with his hands and it is even said that he should pray before he touches the food, and the food will be served to him by his wife. So in case a grain of rice falls on the floor while serving the husband would say " Tiruvalluvar before getting married was invited by a friend of him to have a meal at his house. While serving he saw that the wife of man was a very little girl (Indians girl during that era will get married at 9 years within an age of 13 to a boy who is 14 to 17 years of age), and she cannot bear the weight of the laddle even so she used to strain a lot to put the rice on to the plate. But valluvar felt disgusted with this and he started to imagine the same situation with his wife. Right from that day after marriage he used to take "a lengthy sewing needle" along with him whenever his wife served him. Years rolled and Vasuki felt strange about this weird practice of her husband but did not question him (Those times questioning the husband was a sin and that will make him angry). Valuvar too was astonished that vasuki despite being very younger to his friend's consort she did not spill a grain of rice while serving. Impatiently valluvar questioned vasuki narrating everything happend and continued saying that the reason why he took a needle along with him everyday is to pick the rice grain up which will be dropped by you and eat it without making it to get to much dirty (Those days floor was of mud and picking the grain with needle will help it to a little clean), but Vasuki replied telling that she knew how hard it is to earn a single grain of rice and so she was too careful about it. True to both of their words Valluvar carried his needle and Vasuki kept her word that until the time of his death he has never used his needle even once!

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Thirukkural was written by Thiruvalluvar and his name is never mentioned anywhere in the poem. Thirukkural is a collection of Venpas which are in detail called kural venpas which are exactly made up of 2 lines and 7 words. The name Thiru kural has two meanings (1. "Thiru" means Selvam i. e. wealth and "kural" means preachings = The preachings which will make you to attain the permanent wealths that won't be lost by anything) and the other meaning is (2. "Thiru" represents Thiruvalluvar and "kural" means preachings = the vereses of Thiruvalluvar). Thirukural consists of 133 (Adhigarangal) chapters and in the way on about 10 (Kural) verses from chapter which makes it as 1330 (kural) in total. It stresses mainly on the four aspects of life

1. Aram (The perfect example of a man with good ethical behaviour).
2. Porul (Material Wealth and belongings).
3. Inbam (Joy and happiness).
4. Veedu (Immortality).

It can be further briefed as a human being should following all the "Aram" and should not be oriented towards and learn to distinguish real wealth "porul" so that he can reach find out what real "inbam" happiness is and finally he can be immortal and enlightened "Veedu".

It is believed that Tiruvalluvar took it to the Madurai Tamil sangam and as per the tradition the new composition was read out loud in a public place where critics and scholars and the recitation of Thirukkural had taken place in Meenakshi Amman temple and Thiruvalluvar sat on the Golden lotus in the temples tank while reciting it as per the request from Avvaiyar to the heads of Tamil Sangam.

Thirukkural has three divisions

1. Arathuppaal.
2. Porutpaal.
3. Kamathupaal or Inbathupaal.

Topic- Athigaram- Kural

1. Aram - 38 athigaram- 380 kuralgal.
2. Porutpaal - 70 athigaram- 700 kuralgal.
3. Kaamathupaal- 25 athigaram- 250 kuralgal.

Aram and Inbam discuss in detail about ones Private life and Porul deals with public affairs. It i said that thirukural has shown path for a person and also how to be in royal life as king too.

Tiruvalluvar is also called in by different names such as:

Mutharpavalar (the top poet), perunavalar, poiyil pulavar, sennaapodhar etc. Trirukural is also called as Tamizh marai, podhu marai etc.

In order to make a speacial salvation to Tiruvalluvar The Tamil nadu goverment has built a 133 metres tall Tiruvalluvar statue in Kanya kumari and also has made a place in Chennai named as Valluvar kottam. The valluvar kottam is a very long park which has a heavy chariot and often traditional and cultural expo takes place there. This located very near to the city centre and busses and mini-busses often head to the city.

Do visit it once in your life time and it is really an amazing place. See you all with another article till then take care! please feel free to post any queries about this place, and like my post if you had liked it. Bye!

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