Kumaraswamy Pulavar

Chunnakam Kumaraswamy Pulavar was a well-known Sri Lankan Tamil scholar and poet from Maylani village in Chunnakam township in Jaffna Peninsula in the British-held Ceylon now known as Sri Lanka. He lived from 1854 to 1922. He along with other activists were instrumental in the revival of native traditions in Sri Lanka that had been long dormant during the previous 400 years of colonial rule by various European powers.

Early life Chunnakam Kumaraswamy Pulavar was born to Ampalavanar and Chithamparammai on January 18, 1854 as only son, among two daughters. When the Pulavar was 5, he started studying Tamil under Namasivaya Desikar and also started studying at Mallakam English School. At the age of 8 he started learning Tamil literature from Murukasu Panditar. Encouraged by Arumuga Navalar, a friend of his great uncle Muttukumara Kavirajar, Pulavar started learning Sanskrit literature from a close relative, Naganatha Panditar from the age of 9. He was there for 22 years and earned high recognition for his hard work. During this time Pulavar wrote a number of research papers on ancient Tamil literature. He also wrote and published several articles on greatness of the Hindu Saiva religion to counter the insulting articles published by Christian clergy at that time in Jaffna and Tamil Nadu. In 1892 he married Chinnachiammai, daughter of Mylvahanam of Kantharodai / Uduvil. Scholarly contributions

Tamil Pulavar Charithram (History of Tamil poets), Ilakkiya Sol Aharathy (Dictionary of classical terms), Neethi Neri Vilakkam (An explanation of the judicial process), Megathootha Karikai and Raguvamsa Charitha Amirtham (Both religious works). Besides the above, he also published some of the Tamil classics, with his explanatory notes and comments. He was also a Sanskrit scholar. Pulavar died due to illness on March 9, 1922. He had two sons Ambalavanapillai & Muttukumaraswamipillai, who were also able scholars, and a daughter Visalachiyammai. Kumaraswamy pulavar is well respected by people of Jaffna and Tamils all over for his scholarly attributes.