Profile and Life History of Devaneya Pavanar

Tamil Author, writer, Activist

Birth:

Devaneya Pavanar was born on Feb 7, 1902 at Gomathimuthupuram, Sankarankovil taluk, Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu. Devaneya Pavanar parents were Thiru Gnanamuthu Devendrar and Paripuranam Ammaiyar

Devaneya Pavanar did his schooling up to SSLC in C.M.J. High School, Palayamkottai. He did his teacher training in Madras University. Devaneya Pavanar finished his elementary education from Murumbu and started his first teaching experience from Murumbu itself. Murumbu is a village located near Sankarankovil in Tirunelveli District. Devaneya Pavanar’s life size statue, a reading room, centunary arch and a research library are located in Sankarankovil. From 1921, for 3 years he worked in the Ambur High School. And with his immense knowledge he passed the Tamil Scholarship exam.

Personal Life

Devaneya Pavanar got married at the age of 28. At 1930 he married his soul partner Nesamani. In his married life he had five children. Four sons followed by a girl child.

Teaching Profession

From 1922 to 1944, Devaneya Pavanar worked in number of high schools. And side by side he pursued his autodidactic studies of Dravidian philology and comparative linguistics. From 1944 to 1956, he worked as a Tamil Professor at Municipal College of Salem. And from 1956 to 1961 he served as a head of Dravidian department at Annamalai University. In 1959 Nehru Government set up a Tamil Development and Research Council. Devaneya Pavanar was a member of this council. His work there to produce Tamil books for schools and colleges. For Tamil Etymological Project, he acted as a Director from 1974. Also he was the president of International Tamil League, Tamil Nadu.

Devaneya Pavanar District Central Library

In Chennai there is a central library and it is named after Devaneya Pavanar. It is located at Anna Salai of Chennai. In 2019, the library was transformed into a digital library. The library holds a vast collection literature books. It is useful for the children, students and for the people who are preparing for the TNPSC exam. Since it contains a lot of study materials. Also in the weekend there is a free coaching class for the students preparing for the competitive examinations. From the free wifi inside the library you can download eth required study materials.

Pure Tamil Movement of Devaneya Pavanar:

Pure Tamil Movement is a movement that to avoid using words from other languages such as Sanskrit and English. He was a staunch proponent and started the Etymological Dictionary project. It is the process to bring out the connection between roots of Tamil words and ramifications.

Senthamil Selvar Devaneya Pavanar:

Devaneya Pavanar in 1966 argues that the classical language of the world is Tamil. He also claims that it is the oldest of all the languages. And other languages are somewhat derived from Tamil. He also claims that the Sangam Literature have been written between 200 BCE and 300 CE.

Along with language related research, Devaneya Pavanar has done a lot of beautiful poems and musical pieces. The musical parts are called Isai Kalambakam and the poems were called venpa.  Tamilnadu Government gave him a title called Senthamil Selvar in 1979. He is also given an honorable title called Sun of Language (Dravida Mozhi nool Nayiru).

Books of Devaneya Pavanar: 

As a Tamil author, he has written more than 35 books. Devaneya Pavanar is the one who initiated the Etymological Dictionary Project. Some of the famous works of him were listed below.

1. Katturai varaiviyal
2. Thiravitattay
3. Mannil vin
4. Etymological essays
5. Necamaṇi Patippakam
6. Thamilar matham
7. Thirukural marapurai.
8. Tamil Marai
9. Tamil varalaru
10. Pazhanthamizh  aatchi
11. Thamilar Tirumanam
12. The primary classical language of the world
13. Tamilan Eppadi kettan

Honors of Devaneya Pavanar:

• In 1955 a silver plate was presented to Devaneya Pavanar for his Tamil Service in Tamil Peravai.
• In 1960 a copper plate was presented to him by the Governor of Tamilnadu for his administrative terms in Tamil.
• For his research work in Tamil philology and etymology, South Indian Saiva Sinddhanta Works Publishing Society in Tirunelveli presented him a silver plate.
• A commemorative stamp of Devaneya Pavanar was released by the postal department in Chennai on February 2006.
• Devaneya Pavanar memorial was installed on Madurai for his memorial by the Government of Tamilnadu on October 2007.

Death:

Devaneya Pavanar died on 15^th January, 1981 because of his health issues. Every year Government of Tamilnadu remembers his Birthday and death anniversary.