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Home > Tamils - a Nation without a State> One Hundred Tamils of the 20th Century > Somasunthara Pulavar
One Hundred Tamils of the 20th Century
"Navalyur K.Somasunthara Pulavar, born on
29th September 1879, was the son of Kadirgamar and Ilakkumipillai
of Navaly, Jaffna. He was well educated in Tamil and traditional
Hindu culture, during his early years under able scholars,
Arunachalam Ramalingam and others. He made a special study of the
Saiva scriptures and started composing verses at the age of
fifteen. He also acquired a good knowledge of English .
He commenced teaching in 1899, at a humble village School at
Sithankerni, which later became Vaddukkoddai Hindu English
School. He taught there for nearly forty years .
During this period he composed prodigious number of verses
dedicated to the deities enshrined in the temples at Nallur,
Kandavanam, Kadirkamam and at other places where he venerated.
Some verses were on common everyday subjects and these are found
in the school text books of today. Many of his compositions are
of special appeal to children. He wrote a few dramatic works and
had them staged, by the students of his School. His style of
composition closely resembled that of the Indian poet Subramaniya
Bharathi. He passed away on 7th July 1953, at the age of
seventy five." (from S.Arumugam's Dictionary of Biography of the
Tamils of Ceylon - published here with
permission)