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Home > Tamils - a Trans State Nation > One Hundred Tamils of the 20th Century > Pandithamani S. Kanapathipillai
One Hundred Tamils of the 20th Century
Pandithamani S.Kanapathipillai, born in 1899, was the son of Sinnathamby Pillai of Madduvil, Jaffna. After his early education, he became a student at the Navalar Kaviya Padasalai, under Kumaraswamy Pulavar of Chunnakam, for higher studies in classical Tamil and literature. He also came under the guidance of Pandit Mailvaganam (later Swami Vipulananda).
He continued his studies, even after Kumaraswamy Pulavar's demise in 1922 and qualified as "Pandithar" of the Mathurai Tamil Sangam in 1925. At that time there were only four persons in Jaffna who had achieved this qualification of the Madurai Sangam. He was a Trained Teacher and a Sanskrit Scholar.
In 1929, he was appointed in charge of the Saiva Teachers Training School at Thirunelveli, and continued to function there till his retirement.
He was an authority on Saiva Siddhanta Sakaram and is a venerable Tamil scholar of high repute, respected by many. He has been honoured with the title of "Pundithamani".
He spent his later years at his residence in "Kalasalai Veedi" in Thirunelveli Jaffna, maintaining the traditions of Arumuga Navalar. He passed away in 1986.
(from S.Arumugam's Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon - published here with permission)
