On Tiruvalluvar Day, let's remember Tamil saint poet

On Tiruvalluvar Day on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi and Chief Minister M K Stalin paid rich tributes to Tiruvalluvar, author of Tamil classic and didactic literature, 'Tirukkural.''Tiruvalluvar Day,' observed on the second day of Tamil month 'Thai' by the state government and others, is dedicated to the memory of the great Tamil poet Tiruvalluvar.Modi tweeted, "On Thiruvalluvar Day, I pay tributes to the great Thiruvalluvar. His ideals are insightful and practicalthey stand out for their diverse nature and intellectual depth. Sharing a video I took last year of the Thiruvalluvar Statue and Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari."Governor Ravi showered rose petals on portraits of the poet placed in front of his decorated statues at Raj Bhavan and on the Marina beachfront. Tamil Nadu Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu, Union Minister of State, L Murugan and senior officials participated.In his message, Ravi said Tiruvalluvar is a "bright sun in the cultural and spiritual firmament of Bharat. The greatest scripture bequeathed by him to the humanity, the Thirukural is a fountainhead of Bharat's eternal universal spirituality."The Governor urged the youth to read, understand and assimilate the wisdom of Tirukkural. "This will be a befitting tribute to the great sage, our rich cultural spiritual tradition and strengthen the pace of a rising new Bharat," he added.Chief Minister Stalin paid floral tributes to the statue of the saint philosopher at 'Valluvar Kottam' here and gave away prizes to school and college students who won state-level painting competition 'Kuraloviyam' based on the ideals of Tirukkural.The drawing contest is part of 'Theerakadhal Tirukkural' initiatives ordered by Stalin to inculcate in young people the moral teachings of Tirukkural. The prizes to students include a cash component as well, ranging between Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000.Valluvar Kottam here is an imposing monument dedicated to the memory of Tiruvalluvar. The ancient work Tirukkural comprises 133 chapters and a total of 1330 couplets.