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Damodaram Pillai prints Tolkappiyam with Senavaraiyar's commentary

· Chennai

Damodaram Pillai prints Tolkappiyam with Senavaraiyar's commentary
Eelakesari, Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

C. W. Damodaram Pillai published the Sollathikaram of the Tolkappiyam with the medieval commentary of Senavaraiyar, an early printed edition of the grammar.

C. W. Damodaram Pillai, a scholar from Jaffna, came to Madras in 1853 as editor of a Tamil newspaper and became known as a pioneer of Tamil publishing. In 1868 he published the Sollathikaram section of the ancient grammar Tolkappiyam with the commentary of Senavaraiyar, edited from palm-leaf manuscripts. He went on to publish Viracoliyam in 1881, the Porulatikaram in 1885 and Kalittokai in 1887. His editions, with those of U. V. Swaminatha Iyer, brought classical Tamil works into print.

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