Tamil Nadu Government Garlands Kannagi and Tholkappiyar Statues on Chithirai Full Moon Day

PRESS RELEASE On behalf of the Government of Tamil Nadu, floral tributes were paid on the Chithirai full moon day to the statues of Kannagi, the symbol of Tamil culture, and Tholkappiyar, of everlasting fame. To honour the greatness of Kannagi, the heroine of the Silappathikaram, whom Ilango Adigal praised as "the great gem that rose to fame for the world", the Secretary to the Government, Tamil Development and Information Department, garlanded and offered floral tributes today, 01.05.2026, being the Chithirai full moon day, to the statue of Kannagi situated on Kamarajar Salai on the Chennai beachfront, as well as to the statue of Tholkappiyar, of everlasting fame. In order that the public may also honour the glory of Kannagi, the symbol of Tamil culture, the Government of Tamil Nadu garlands and offers floral tributes every year on the Chithirai full moon day to the statue of Kannagi on Marina Beach's Kamarajar Salai, Chennai. Following this, floral tributes were paid with a garland to the statue of Tholkappiyar, the author of the eternally famous Tholkappiyam. The Tholkappiyam is a foremost work of Tamil grammar. It consists of three sections — Ezhuthadhikaram (483 sutras), Solladhikaram (463 sutras) and Poruladhikaram (664 sutras) — totalling 1,610 sutras across 27 chapters, with nine chapters in each section. In 1963, in his preface to the English translation of the Tholkappiyam, the great scholar Anna noted that people would forever remember the Tholkappiyam in beautiful prose befitting them. It would not be an exaggeration to call Tholkappiyar, who gave the Tholkappiyam, the "Adi Bhagavan" (the primordial sage) of the Tamil language. Every year on the Chithirai full moon day, floral tributes are paid to the statue of Tholkappiyar both in Chennai and at Kappiyakkadu in Kanniyakumari, on behalf of the Government of Tamil Nadu. Today, 01.05.2026, on behalf of the Government of Tamil Nadu, the Secretary to the Government, Tamil Development and Information Department, Additional Directors, the Director of Tamil Development, senior government officials, Tamil scholars and members of the public garlanded and offered floral tributes to the statue of Kannagi, symbol of Tamil culture, and to the statue of the ever-famous Tholkappiyar. ••••••• Issued By: Director, Directorate of Information and Public Relations, Chennai-9