Kambar | |
|---|---|
_2Feb2013.jpg) Statue of Kambar, Marina Beach, Chennai | |
| Born | Kavichakravarthy Kamban 1180 (1180) |
| Died | 1250(1250-00-00) (aged 69–70) |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Language | Tamil |
| Notable works | Ramavataram Silai Elupatu Mangala Valtu Saraswati Antati Sadagopar Antati Tirukkai Valakkam Erelupatu Kangai Puranam Tondaiman |
Kambar, orKavichakravarthy Kamban (1180–1250),[1] was an Indian poet and the author of theRamavataram, popularly known asKambaramayanam, theTamil version of the epicRamayana.[2] Kambar also authored other literary works in Tamil, such asTirukkai Valakkam,Erelupatu,Silai Elupatu,Kangai Puranam,Sadagopar Antati andSaraswati Antati.[2][full citation needed]
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Kambar was born inTherazhundur. He was supported by his close friendSadayappa Vallal.[3] He grew up in theChola Empire under the reign ofKulothunga III. Having heard of this talented bard, Kulothunga summoned him to his court and honoured him with the titleKavi Chakravarty (The Emperor of Poets).[2][full citation needed]
Kambar flourished inTherazhundur, a village in the culturally richMayiladuthurai district in the modern state ofTamil Nadu inSouth India.[4]
Kambar is generally dated after theVaishnavite philosopher,Ramanuja, as the poet refers to the latter in his work, the Sadagopar Antati.[5]
Kamban was a great scholar of bothTamil andSanskrit—two of India's oldest and richest languages in terms of literary works. In a scholarly biography,Kavichakravarty Kamban,Mahavidwan R. Raghava Iyengar wrote in detail about Kambar.[citation needed]
Kambar spent his last days inNattarasankottai (known for Kannathal temple) near toSivagangai town and his tomb is situated there. It is said that Kambar after having differences with Kulothunga's son,Rajaraja III, he left the Chola kingdom and moved from place to place. When he reached at Nattarasankottai, he was very thirsty and asked water in one house at Nattarasankottai. He was offered buttermilk in return and he became very happy and decided to stay there itself and spent his last days there. He lived there till his death. There is tomb in Nattarasankottai and every year a celebration calledKamban vizha is conducted at this place to felicitate Kambar.[citation needed]
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The original version ofRamayana was written byValmiki. It is an epic of 24,000 verses which depicts the journey ofRama, a prince ofAyodhya who belonged toRaghuvamsha (Solar dynasty). InHinduism, Rama is the seventhincarnation ofVishnu, one of theTrimurti (the Hindu holy trinity which includesBrahma andShiva).
TheRamavataram orKamba Ramayanam of Kamban is an epic of about 11,000 stanzas.[6][full citation needed][7][unreliable source?] TheRama-avataram orRama-kathai as it was originally called was accepted into the holy precincts in the presence ofVaishnava Acharya Nathamuni.[8][full citation needed]
Kamba Ramayana is not a verbal translation of the Sanskrit epic by Valmiki, but a retelling of the story of Rama.[8][full citation needed]
He is portrayed bySerukalathur Sama in the Tamil-language filmAmbikapathy (1937).
Yet another film titledAmbikapathy (1957) hasM. K. Radha playing Kambar.
Kambarmedu- an archaeological site located inTherizhandur, associated with the settlement of the Tamil poet Kambar.
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