1. Maraimalai Adigal was a Tamil Saivite writer, orator and father of the Tanittamil Iyakkam movement.
21 Facts About Maraimalai Adigal
1. 2.
Maraimalai Adigal authored more than 100 books, including works on original poems and dramas and notable research works on Tamil literature and Saivism.
3.
Maraimalai Adigal was an exponent of the Tanittamil Iyakkam movement and is considered to be the father of Tamil linguistic purism.
4.
Maraimalai Adigal advocated the use of Tamil devoid of Sanskrit words and changed his birth name Vedhachalam to Maraimalai.
5.
Ramasamy were shunned by Maraimalai Adigal and caused years of differences between the two.
6.
Maraimalai Adigal spent most of his income buying books and after his death, his collection was made into a library according to his will.
7.
Maraimalai Adigal was born on 15 July 1876 to Cokkanata Pillai and Cinnammai.
8.
Maraimalai Adigal did his early schooling at Wesley Mission High School in Nagappattinam, but had to abandon his formal education with Fourth Form after his father's death.
9.
Maraimalai Adigal later authored several articles in Tamil monthly called Neelalochani.
10.
Maraimalai Adigal refused the offer and resigned to lead an ascetic life in a serene atmosphere outside the city and to study and do research in Tamil.
11.
Apart from being a good orator, Maraimalai Adigal composed several Tamil poems.
12.
Maraimalai Adigal wrote poems from recollections of his teacher Somasundara Naiker in 1901 as Somasundarak Kaanjiaakkam.
13.
Maraimalai Adigal released his research work on Tamil literature Mullaip Pattu Aaraichi for students of Tamil literature.
14.
Maraimalai Adigal wrote books on the subjects of self-improvement, self-help and personality development.
15.
Maraimalai Adigal became a devout follower of Saivam and started an institution named Podhunilaik Kazhagam.
16.
Maraimalai Adigal started the Thiru Murugan Press in his residence at Pallavaram and published a number of books and magazines.
17.
Maraimalai Adigal started a monthly called Gnaana Saaharam.
18.
Apart from being called as the father of pure Tamil movement, Maraimalai Adigal is considered to be the father of Non-Brahmin Tamil movements.
19.
Maraimalai Adigal himself claimed that the non-Brahmin stance of Self-respect movement was born out of his views and principles.
20.
Maraimalai Adigal looked upon the Self-respect movement as a handiwork of the Telugu Vaishnavites.
21.
Maraimalai Adigal spent most of his income on buying books.