V. G. Suryanarayana Sastri | |
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| Born | (1870-07-06)6 July 1870 Vilacheri nearThirupparankundram,Madura District,British India |
| Died | 2 November 1903(1903-11-02) (aged 33) Madras, British India |
| Pen name | Parithimar Kalaignar, Sastri |
| Occupation | Tamilpundit |
| Language | Tamil |
Parithimar Kalaignar (bornV. G. Suryanarayana Sastri at Vilacheri nearThirupparankundram on 6 July 1870[1] – 2 November 1903), aProfessor ofTamil at theMadras Christian College, was the first person to campaign for the recognition of Tamil as aclassical language.[2][3]
Suryanarayana Sastri was born at Vilacheri nearThirupparankundram in aTamil Brahmin family to Govindan Sivan.[4][5] He studied philosophy and after graduation was soon employed as aProfessor of Tamil in the Madras Christian College. In 1895, Suryanarayana Sastri rose to become the Head of Department for Tamil at the Madras Christian College.[2]
Suryanarayana Sastri had immense love for Tamil and wrote plenty of books.[3] He even changed his Sanskrit name to its Tamil translation (although "Parithi" பரிதி and "Kalai" கலை are Dravidian loanwords from Sanskrit परिधि and कला, respectively).[6]
When theMadras University proposed to exclude Tamil from its syllabus, Parithimar Kalaignar vehemently protested against the proposal forcing the authorities to drop the move.[2] In 1902, he proposed that Tamil be designated as a "classical language" thereby becoming the first person to make such a petition.[3] Parithimar Kalignar is also known asDravida Sastri.[7]
Parithimar Kalaignar was also the first to use the Tamil nameKumarinadu for the mythical lost-land ofLemuria.[8]
Paritihimar Kalaignar died in 1903 due totuberculosis[3] at the age of 33.[7]
Parithimar Kalaignar is regarded as an inspiration for Tamil enthusiasts asMaraimalai Adigal and theTanittamil Iyakkam.
In 2006, the Government of Tamil Nadu declared Parithimar Kalaignar's house in his native village of Vilacheri as a memorial and sanctioned a sum of₹1.5 million (equivalent to₹4.8 million or US$56,000 in 2023) towards nationalizing his books.[3][9]
On 17 August 2007, postage stamps were issued in memory of Saint Vallalar, Parithimar Kalaignar and Maraimalai Adigal.[2][10]
On 13 December 2006, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister,M. Karunanidhi extended an amount of₹1.5 million (equivalent to₹4.8 million or US$56,000 in 2023) to the Tamil scholar's descendants.[11]
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