Annamalai University Vice-Chancellor M.Ramanathan showcasing the reprint of the 'Kamba Ramayanam' at Chidambaram on Friday.
CUDDALORE:
In the backdrop of the World Classical Tamil Conference that has acted as a catalyst, Annamalai University has revived the publication of the ‘Kamba Ramayanam' after a gap of 55 years, according to M.Ramanathan, Vice-Chancellor
Dr Ramanathan told The Hindu that through studious efforts the university scholars and the Publication Department had readied 1,000 copies of the epic just in time to be displayed at the conference venue. In the foreword, founder Pro-Chancellor of the university M.A.M.Ramaswamy had expressed his extreme pleasure in bringing out the edition to coincide with the Tamil conference. Mr Ramaswamy further stated that his illustrious grandfather Rajah Sir Annamalai Chettiar and father Rajah Sir Muthiah Chettiar had made momentous contributions for the cause of Tamil language and literature as well as Tamil music.
Annamalai University had the long tradition of bringing out a series of monumental Tamil works such as the ‘Kamba Ramayanam' (16 volumes), Siddha literature (six volumes), ‘Thiru Arutpa' (10 volumes) and History of Tamil Tradition (five volumes), all printed in the university press. The Pro-Chancellor observed that the ‘Kamba Ramayanam' edition was compiled from various sources after making elaborate research works, including the perusal of the palm leaves, kept in the Thanjavur Saraswathi Mahal Library and Madurai Tamil Sangam, the rich repertoire of Annamalai University Library and the sources in possession of individual scholars such as C.Ganesa Iyer of Colombo (previously Yazhpanam).
A team of seven Tamil scholars headed by R.P.Sethu Pillai was constituted when Sir C.P.Ramaswamy Iyer was the Vice-Chancellor to publish the ‘Kamba Ramayanam' in 1955.
Scholars' demand
Dr. Ramanathan said that during the Tamizh Kazhagam conference held at Tirunelveli recently Kothandaraman of Kamban Kazhagam and certain other contemporary scholars had appealed to him to revive the ‘Kamba Ramayanam' edition. Therefore, a committee was constituted under Pazha Muthuveerappan, Dean, Faculty of Indian Languages, to bring out the edition in 16 volumes. What was significant about the publication was that it had retained the chastity of the Tamil language as found in the original manuscripts or palm leaves without any interpolations or corrections. Moreover, it would be of immense value to the research scholars because it carried commentaries from many stalwarts.
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