Valluvar Kottam - A Monument for Ancient Tamil Poet in Tamil Nadu, India.

Czech Professor Dr. Kamil Zvelebil noted in an article a few decades ago about 2000 years old book named Thirukkural in Tamil language. He said,

• "The Thirukkural, one of the great books of the world, one of those singular emanations of the human heart and spirit which preach positive love and forgiveness and peace."

This work has been translated into many languages of which several of them are native to Europe. The Author of this work is a sage known as Valluvar. No information is available about his birth place, religion or parents. It is believed that he lived in Mylapore, a place in today's Chennai, Tamilnadu. His work withstood the time and still honoured and learned by Tamils living all over the world. In Tamil nadu and Sri Lanka this is taught in the schools. As Thirukkural does not align itself with any specific religion, researchers try to show his allience with different religions existed in Valluvar's period.

Apart from its merits in terms of poetic and moral grounds, Thirukkural became a symbol in Tamil Nationalist ideology. This further enhanced his place in the Tamil community. This prompted many governments of Tamil nadu to honour Valluvar and his work in some way. In 1976, thae then Tamil nadu government constructed a monument for him and this was named as Valluvar Kottam which means "The temple of Valluvar" in Tamil language.

Valluvar Kottam is located near the intersection of the Kodambakkam High road and the Village road in Chennai the capital of Tamil nadu state in India.

The Main Feature of this monument is a structure (Fig.2), designed like a huge Hindu Temple Procession Chariot. Total height of this structure is 128 feet (39 meter) and the seat of the chariot is at 30 feet (9 meter) from the ground level. A statue of Valluvar is placed here. The roof of the man hall has been constructed to align with a level little below this seat and the visitors reach this place and see the statue from the roof. This chariot structure has been made to look like it is pulled by two 7 feet tall elephants. The base of the chariot consists of many carvings describing the poems of Thirukkural. In side the hall there displayed many paintings which serve the same purpose.