Kamban is creator and father of ‘Bharatiya culture’: R.N. Ravi

Describing Tamil poet Kamban as the “creator and father of Bharatiya culture,” Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi on Sunday inaugurated the week-long Kamba Ramayanam Festival at Kambarmedu in Mayiladuthurai district, believed to be the birthplace of the revered poet

Describing Tamil poet Kamban as the “creator and father of Bharatiya culture,” Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi on Sunday inaugurated the week-long Kamba Ramayanam Festival at Kambarmedu in Mayiladuthurai district, believed to be the birthplace of the revered poet.

Mr. Ravi said Kamban’s literary genius transcended language and region, inspiring poets and saints across India to narrate the story of Sri Rama, eventually transforming him into a national cultural icon. “Kamban did not just write the Ramayanam. He inspired poets and saints in other Indian languages who followed his path. It is because of Kamban that Sri Rama became a national icon. Kamban was the father and creator of Bharatiya culture,” he said.

The Governor said the political climate in Tamil Nadu had hindered an open discourse about the Kamba Ramayanam, which he described as the “soul of Tamil language and culture.”

“What kind of Tamil culture are we talking about? Politics has done much harm and caused a decline. We cannot allow this. The Kamba Ramayanam should be at the heart and in the life of every Tamilian,” Mr. Ravi said.

Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a devoted admirer of Tamil language and culture, the Governor said: “I don’t remember any leader since Independence who has promoted Tamil language and culture the way Mr. Modi has.”

Mr. Ravi highlighted initiatives taken under the Prime Minister’s leadership, including the establishment of Tirukkural and Tamil chairs in Singapore, Malaysia, France, the U.S., and Fiji. He pointed to the installation of the Tamil Sengol in new Parliament building, calling it a symbolic recognition of Tamil heritage.

According to him, Mr. Modi had initiated the idea of reviving and celebrating Kamban and the Kamba Ramayanam, following a conversation the two had about its cultural status.