Maraimalai Adigalar’s 150th year celebrated in the city

School Education Minister Rajmohan said the name of Maraimalai Adigalar would remain as long as Tamil language exists, at the Maraimalai Adigal’s 150th year celebration, organised by World Tamil Araichi Mandram, in association with Maraimalaiadigal Kalvi Arakattalai, in the city on Wednesday.

He said it was in the library of Adigalar’s house located in Pallavaram that he learned the Tamil language. The State government, having named a bridge in his remembrance, has also created a town called Marai Malai Nagar, which is famous for big factories, he said. 

VIT University Chancellor K. Viswanathan said it was Maraimalai Adigal who initiated the movement for giving Tamil names to children, during which more than 55,000 Tamil names were created.

Remembering Adigalar for protecting the Tamil language, Mr. Viswanathan demanded that the State government address the issue of Hindi imposition. He said English, having become the official or primary language, it was being imposed in several States. He said that the country having a federal setup Hindi was being a primary language only in 12 States and union territories, whereas English was used in 14 States. 

MDMK leader Vaiko said that as long as Tamil language was spoken, Maraimalai Adigalar would be remembered. He said that Adigalar was a Tamil scholar at a young age and was the most loved person for Manonmaniam Sundaram Pillai, who wrote the Tamizh Thai Vaazhthu. He said that Adigalar was an inspiration for the Hindi opposition movement carried out by the DMK leader Anna. 

Maraimalaiadigal Kalvi Arakattalai founder and grandson of Adigalar Thayumaanavan also spoke on the occasion. 

Published – July 16, 2026 12:33 am IST