U Ve Swaminatha Iyer A TRIBUTE to The Patriarch of Tamil. This morning, let me talk about the TAMIZH THATHA, Sri UV Swaminatha Iyer. A tribute, on his 150th birth anniversary. The original texts of a number of literary works of the Sangam period (1st and 2nd Century AD) came to public notice only towards the end of the 19th century, when they appeared in print form. Until then, works such as Aymperum Kaappiyangal (the five great epics) – Silappathikaram, Manimekalai, Kundalakesi, Jeevaka Chintamani, and Valaiyapathi were in the form of palm leaf manuscripts in the possession of scores of families living across Tamilnadu and outside. They didn’t have the skill to read the manuscripts, and, therefore, did not realize the literary worth. The palm leafs were allowed to rot. The need to hunt for the missing palm leaf manuscripts and bring to light the hidden treasure of Tamil literature was deeply felt. Foremost among those who undertook this formidable task was Mahamahopadhyaya Uttamadhana...