Vaikasi Anusham Valluvar Thirunaal: A Celebration and Controversy

The Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan celebrated 'Vaikasi Anusham Valluvar Thirunaal' honoring Thiruvalluvar, sparking controversy with the ruling DMK over his depiction in saffron attire. The event marks a shift from the traditional January celebration. Historically, 'Vaikasi Anusham' has significant ties to the poet's commemoration.

The Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan on Friday celebrated the legacy of Tamil saint poet Thiruvalluvar to mark what it called the ''Vaikasi Anusham Valluvar Thirunaal,'' in brief, the Thiruvalluvar Day festival, also showing him in saffron attire, things that drew the ire of the ruling DMK.

Vaikasi is one of the months in Tamil calendar that falls between May and June and Anusham is a star believed to be associated with the saint poet. Thirunaal is a special day and Vizha denotes festival.

While Thiruvalluvar Day, for over 50 years is officially celebrated in the state in January, the Raj Bhavan has held an event to honour the saint poet on 'Vaikasi Anusham,' in May and this is a first such function.

The portrait of Thiruvalluvar in Safrron with Hindu religious marks formed the backdrop of the event and was also featured in front of the rostrum and the invite to the function was in the same style, which did not go down well with the DMK.

By showing Thiruvalluvar in Saffron, senior DMK leader TKS Elangovan said, the Governor was trying to insult Tamils and hit out at him for choosing a particular star (Vaikasi Anusham) to observe Thiruvalluvar Day. Law minister S Raghupathy said there was ''no cure'' for being adamant, apparently indicating at Ravi's past run-ins with the DMK government over a number of issues.

Party spokesperson J Constandine Ravindran said this was nothing but an effort by Ravi to belittle both Thiruvalluvar and the Tamil people. While Thiruvalluvar is common to all the people and religions, Ravi has depicted him in Saffron and it denigrates the revered saint, the values espoused by Thirukkural and the people. BJP Tamil Nadu vice president Narayanan Thirupathy asked what was wrong in showing Thiruvalluvar in Saffron. He asked if the saint poet is shown in white attire, ''will it represent Christianity.'' Furthermore, he said Thiruvalluvar had traditionally been represented with Hindu religious marks as he was a Hindu saint. TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai also slammed Ravi for showing Thiruvalluvaru in saffron robes.

The Raj Bhavan backdrop for the event and invitation for the function said: ''Thiruvalluvar Thirunaal Vizha,'' adding, ''Vaikasi Anusham Valluvar Thirunaal.'' On the background to 'Vaikasi Anusham,' S Ramachandran, archaeologist and historian said that in 1966 the then Congress government issued a Government Order, ''which declared the day (Vaikasi Anusham) on which saint Thiruvalluvar attained 'Mukthi' as Thiruvalluvar Day.'' A holiday was announced.

''That day falls in the Tamil month of Vaikasi and the related star was Anusham and that explains Vaikasi Anusham,'' he said. On June 2, 1966, Vaikasi Anusham was observed as Thiruvalluvar Day and to mark the occasion, a statue of Thiruvalluvar was unveiled by then President S Radhakrishnan in the presence of then Chief Minister M Bhakthavatsalam and Chennai Mayor M Minor Moses, who belonged to the DMK. ''For a long time, Thiruvalluvar has been honoured on Vaikasi Anusham in the Mylapore temple.'' Later, the DMK regime in 1971 designated the second day of Tamil month Thai (in January) as Thiruvalluvar Day. The Thiruvalluvar temple at Mylapore in Chennai in which Governor Ravi offered prayers on Friday belongs to 14th century CE (Common Era), he said. Meanwhile, the Governor also visited the temple in the city dedicated to Thiruvalluvar.

''On the pious occasion of Thiruvalluvar Thirunaal Vizha (Vaikasi Anusham Valluvar Thirunaal), Governor Thiru R N Ravi had a divine darshan of Saint Thiruvalluvar at Arulmigu Thiruvalluvar Temple, Mylapore,'' the Raj Bhavan said in a post on 'X.' Later, he paid floral tributes to Thiruvalluvar at the Raj Bhavan. Incidentally, in January this year Ravi paid floral tributes to a portrait of Thiruvalluvar in saffron attire and Chief Minister M K Stalin had then asserted that no one could 'stain' the bard.

In the portrait, Thiruvalluvar, with sacred ash (vibuthi), kumkum and rudraksha was featured in saffron dhoti and upper cloth. The Raj Bhavan's official 'X' handle had also then shared a picture of the saint poet in Saffron.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)