மங்காப் புகழும் மங்கிய சுவடும் - சமணத் தமிழனின் சரித்திரம்

தமிழ்ப் பாரம்பரியம்
(Tamil Heritage Trust)
presents
மங்காப் புகழும் மங்கிய சுவடும் - சமணத் தமிழனின் சரித்திரம்
by 
Prof. Kanaka Ajitha Doss
at 5.30pm on Saturday, June 1st, 2013
at Vinoba Hall, Thakkar Bapa Vidyalaya, T Nagar.

About the Topic:

Jainam (Samanam) has had a long but chequered, recorded history over a period of more than 2500 years in peninsular India (Dravida desa). Playing a dominant role in the cultural milieu of the Tamils, it had left indelible marks on the thought and life of the people.

Jaina vestiges in the form of monuments, sculptures, paintings, inscriptions etc. are found throughout  the length and breadth of Tamizhagam. Their contribution to literature and grammar is immense and there is no parallel anywhere. The Tamil script is the singular contribution of the Jains. These throw light on the socio, economic and religious life of Tamil people and speak about the glorious heritage of the past .

As to the Samanas, the glory is there due to their contributions to Tamil literature, grammar and ethics but the pity is that they are completely forgotten by the other Tamils.

About the Speaker:


Speaker Prof. Kanaka Ajitha Doss retired as Head of the Department of Plant Biology and Plant Biotechnology, Presidency College, Chennai. He otained his PhD from Presidency College & Madras Medical College. He has published many research articles in his field.

A practising Jaina, he has written three books on Jainism in Tamil covering an introduction to Jainism, Jaina Temples of Thiruparuthikunram/Kanchipuram and on Digambara Munis who developed Tamil as a classical language and their contribution to Ahimsa. He has translated two Jaina works from English and Manipravala to Tamil, written three plays and a novel on Jaina themes and has written a commentary on Kiriya Kalabam, a very old and sacred work of Jaina Acharyas, editing and expanding an older commentary by Vidur Poornachandra Sasthriyar.


RSVP:

A. Annamalai: Gandhi Study Centre - gandhicentre@gmail.com; 94441-83198
Badri Seshadri: Kizhakku-p-padippakam - badri@nhm.in; 98840-66566
S. Kannan: Bank of Baroda - 2498 5836
S. Swaminathan - sswami99@gmail.com; 2467 1501
R. Gopu, writergopu@yahoo.com, 98417-24641
T. Sivasubramanian, siva.durasoft@gmail.com, 98842-94494