Shanlax International Journal of Tamil Research

A Comparative Study of Pandian, The Character of a Tamil Novel Puyalile Oru Dhoni and The Characters of World Novels

N Murugesa Pandian — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Visit of the British Colonial Secretary to Batticaloa and Its Significance – A Historical Study

Nilanthini Senthuran — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study examines the visit of the British Colonial Secretary B. H. Bourdillon and his wife to the Batticaloa District in 1930 and it highlights the administrative, socio-economic, and political significance of the visit in the history of the Eastern Province. The primary sources such as Government Gazette notifications, correspondence of district officials, colonial administrative records, and contemporary reports were used to this research to analyse the objectives, events, and outcomes of the visit. The study states that Bourdillon’s visit was not merely ceremonial but represented a calculated administrative intervention which aimed to strengthen the colonial authority and to review the district-level governance. The key sectors such as agriculture and irrigation-tank development, public health facilities, construction and rural infrastructure, and administrative restructuring were given priority. The visit also provided importance for public engagement. Petitions and requests from local communities were considered. Discussions were held with sectoral officers including police, public works, railways, forests, survey, excise, and education. The arrangements, decorations, and inter-departmental coordination undertaken for the event, indicate the political weight placed on the visit by the colonial administration. The findings reveal that the visit served to evaluate the needs of the district, to reinforce economic policies and to maintain the direct administrative control over the Eastern Province. By filling a significant gap in the existing literature, this research helps to understand how official colonial tours shaped local governance, resource management, and policy implementation in Sri Lanka’s eastern region during British rule.

Life Ethics and Psychosomatic Healing Reflected in the Folk Rituals of Eastern Sri Lankan Tamils - Centred on Rituals and Songs

Priyadarshani Jetheeswaran — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The long stretch of land situated along the eastern coast of the island of Sri Lanka, bordering the ocean, constitutes the great cultural land known as Batticaloa. With the sea on one side and the Batticaloa Lagoon — a tidal lake — running across the land, this entire region is blessed with beauty and coolness. The livelihoods of the people living here depend largely on marine resources, the lagoon, and agriculture. Likewise, one can observe that their way of life and worship practices are also fundamentally shaped by these very elements. The people of this region hold deep faith in folk ritual worship that falls outside the Agamic tradition. There are numerous male and female deities worshipped by them. It is noteworthy that these ritual practices are rich in dance, song, and sacred chants. The uniqueness of these songs lies in the fact that their content narrates the histories of the deities and temples, while also conveying the way of life of the people, the ethical principles governing their lives, and providing physical and psychological healing. In this study, the life ethics and psychological healing conveyed through their rituals in their daily lives have been examined on the basis of these songs.

Beyond the Stage: Tanja Beer’s Theory of ‘Ecoscenography’ and its Feasibility in Tamil Theatre

Alagiah Vimalaraj — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In the current ‘Anthropocene’ era, where global warming and ecological shifts pose a threat to human existence, ecological accountability within the arts has become indispensable. In the realm of modern Tamil theatre scenography, there has been a recent surge in the use of non-biodegradable materials such as Polystyrene (Rigid Foam), plastics, and chemical paints, fostering a ‘disposable culture’. This trend is detrimental both ecologically and economically. This study explores the feasibility of implementing Australian designer Tanja Beer’s theory of ‘Ecoscenography’ within the context of Tamil theatre. The theory advocates for transforming stage design from a mere decorative artifact into an ecological event integrated with the environment. Employing a qualitative research methodology, this study analyzes Tanja Beer’s three theoretical stages—’Co-creation’, ‘Celebration’, and ‘Circulation’—through a comparative analysis with traditional Tamil theatre forms, such as Koothu, and contemporary theatrical endeavors. The study concludes that while this theory originates from the West, it shares intrinsic values with the traditional material culture of Tamil theatre. Furthermore, it establishes that the utilization of local, sustainable resources offers a viable solution to significantly reduce production costs while ensuring environmental sustainability.

Dance Messages Expressed Through Minor Literary Works

Thushyanthy Juliyan Jeyapragash — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In the history of Tamil literature, the period that emerged following the Epic Age is known as the Bhakti literary period. This literary period is also referred to as the Prabandha literary period or the Minor Literary period. The Minor Literatures are those works that arose after Bhakti literature by blending internal and external themes separately as subject matter. In these Minor Literatures, the dances of Shiva and Murugan are mentioned, along with references to mudras (hand gestures), musical instruments, and adornments. In this regard, this research paper examines and explains various aspects such as the nature of dance and the manner in which dance is expressed, as mentioned in the songs within Minor Literatures, through the title “Dance Messages Expressed Through Minor Literary Works.

Historical Records from the Copper Plate Inscription of the Vadakal Palayakkarar: Based on the Evidence from the Tamil University Museum

A Raja — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Pottery shards with sripts, copper plates, stone inscriptions, palm-leaf manuscripts, and paper documents serve as evidentiary sources that narrate the ancient history of Tamil Nadu. Furthermore, these inscriptions serve as primary sources that describe the culture, administrative systems, social structures, and the donations and charities given to temples and society. In this context, this article discusses the historical information contained in the copper plate inscription from the period of the second Maratha king Sahaji, which was found in the Palayakkarar mansion at Vadakal in the Sirkazhi taluk of Mayiladuthurai district.

Medicine for 4448 Diseases - Palm Leaf Manuscript Edition and Study

S K Sivakumar — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The palm leaf manuscript was used as a medium to record the thoughts and ideas of people in ancient society. A manuscript is prepared by processing palm leaves and writing on them with a stylus. Among the manuscripts written in this manner, those containing medical notes have been found in the greatest numbers. Generally, medical manuscripts describe various diseases and their corresponding methods of treatment. The medical notes conveyed in this manner tend to be expressed in an indirect and suggestive manner. This is presumably because the knowledge of these medical practices was intended to be passed down only to one’s own descendants, and therefore the meaning was conveyed in an implicit and coded way. Due to this situation, there is a need in the present day to properly understand medical manuscripts, edit them, and publish them. In today’s context, manuscripts have been neglected due to the overwhelming influence of the printing press. This paper aims to subject the literary treasures and medical notes buried within palm leaf manuscripts to scholarly study and analysis.

Poet Na.Muthukumar Women in the Poems of the First Pest Seller

M Sindhu, S Padhmini — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In modern Tamil poetry, where the feminist perspective has emerged as an important research field, Na.Muthukumar’s poems are important documents that deeply record the life experiences of women. In Na.Muthukumar’s poems, the woman is presented not only as an object of beauty or a flame of sacrifice, but also as a complete human identity with feelings and thoughts. This study examines how women are portrayed in the poems of poet N. Muthukumar from a biological and sociological perspective. Furthermore, she is shown as a living being operating within family and social structures. Along with traditional traits such as affection, love, and sacrifice, women’s loneliness, heartache, silence, and social barriers are also recorded in her poems. This study explains how women’s experiences become the biological realities of modern Tamil society through a content analysis of the selected poetry collection of poet N. Muthukumar, ‘Pattam Poochee Virbhavan’. It also indicates that these poems are a document that allows today’s generation of readers to know the experiences of women in society that are unknown. The aim of this study is to find out whether N. Muthukumar’s poems are established as an important literature that integrates female identity, social memory, and cultural records.

Is the Exclamation Mark Exclusive to Two Languages

R Barathkumar — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

It is widely known that humans evolved from apes. Similarly, the mosquito is a creature that evolved from an insect species known as ‘Flie,’ which appeared thousands of years ago. Scientific researchers suggest that when this insect first appeared, it may not have had the ability to fly or suck blood, but rather existed as a parasitic insect that leaped from one place to another. Studies indicate that there are currently around 3,500 species of mosquitoes in the world, and approximately 700,000 people die annually from mosquito bites. The Tamil grammatical work Tolkappiyam states that the sakara ukaram (the letter ‘su’) following a single short vowel occurs in only two words. This suggests that the mosquito as a creature likely did not exist during the time of Tolkappiyar. The word ‘kosu’ (mosquito) does not appear even once in ancient Tamil literature, medieval literature, or in the commentaries of scholars. Only in Kuruntokai does the word ‘nulambu’ appear in a single poem composed by Venkottranar. In other Dravidian languages such as Kannada, Telugu, and Malayalam, different words are used to refer to the mosquito. A comparative study of all these facts reveals that the mosquito is a creature that appeared much later in history, and that the mosquito is in fact the evolved form of the insect species known as ‘nulambu,’ having developed the ability to fly and suck blood over time.

Tamil Civilization in Purananooru

K Suganya, D Latha — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Sangam literatures vividly portray the noble qualities that flourished among the kings, poets, and common people who lived during the Sangam period. Purananooru is a work that highlights the spirit of common welfare and the way of life of the rulers who wished not only for their own happiness but also for the prosperity of their people. This ancient text records the bravery, generosity, humanism, water management, sense of unity, balanced way of living, and the cordial relationship between kings and poets. The present study aims to explore and explain the rich cultural values reflected in Purananooru, which captures various historical and social aspects of early Tamil civilization.

Usage-Based Illustrations by the Commentators of the Sollathikaaram of the Tolkaappiyam

V Segar — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study examines in detail how the commentators who wrote exegeses on the Sollathikaaram of the Tolkappiyam employed the technique of usage-based illustration. One of the major findings of this research is that the commentators did not explain Tolkaappiyar’s grammatical principles merely as abstract rules; rather, they interpreted them by relating them to the spoken language of their own times, social practices, ancient traditions, and literary usages. Firstly, through contemporary usage-based illustration, commentators such as Ilampooranar, Seenaavaraiyar, Naçcinaarkkiniyar, and Deivacilaiyaar explained grammatical concepts by citing examples drawn from the vocabulary, measures, food habits, occupations, social relationships, and belief systems prevalent in their respective periods. As a result, the commentaries on the Sollathikaaram also function as reflections of the social life of those times. Although Kallaatanaar and the Old Commentator largely followed earlier commentaries, they too pointed out contemporary usages in certain places.
Secondly, through illustration of ancient usage, the commentators clarified not only the usages current in their own times but also those that were prevalent in earlier periods. By explicitly referring to “ancient usage,” they explained words and expressions that had either disappeared or undergone change over time. Such illustrations are particularly helpful in understanding the historical continuity and transformation of the Tamil language. Further, through grammatical usage-based illustration and literary usage-based illustration, the commentators highlighted the distinction between grammatical norms and literary practice. In some instances, they clearly stated that certain usages found in literary works do not conform to grammatical convention, thereby guiding readers away from possible misunderstandings. Among the commentators, Deivacilaiyār employed this technique with notable clarity and precision. In conclusion, the technique of usage-based illustration adopted by the commentators of the Sollathikaaram serves as an important area of study that integrates the functional history of the Tamil language, its socio-cultural context, and the relationship between grammar and literature. These commentaries are thus not merely grammatical explanations but also valuable sources for understanding the linguistic and social history of Tamil.