Lesson - 6
P10336 திருக்காவலூர்க் கலம்பகம்

    As in the previous lessons of this block, you will learn about another type of சிற்றிலக்கியம் called கலம்பகம், illustrated by திருக்காவலூர்க் கலம்பகம். The reason for the title of this work, the details about author, the special qualities of this book and the structure of the book are described. The structural parts of கலம்பகம், their description and a few remarkable aspects of the work are presented in this lesson.

    The two central units discuss the merits of the திருக்காவலூர்க் கலம்பகம் and its parts.

    This சிற்றிலக்கியம் praises the Goddess of the village called திருக்காவலூர் located in Tiruchirapalli district of Tamil Nadu in the form of கலம்பகம். It was authored by வீரமாமுனிவர், an Italian Christian missionary. He mastered the Tamil language and contributed to its literary development. This கலம்பகம் is extra-ordinary in the sense that it is in praise of a Goddess, contrary to the common practice of having a male as the hero. Goddess அடைக்கல மாதா of திருக்காவலூர் is the herione of this work. Like all கலம்பகம் works, this திருக்காவலூர்க் கலம்பகம் also has metrical forms of வெண்பா. ஆசிரியப்பா, வஞ்சிப்பா, கலிப்பா, துறை, தாழிசை, and விருத்தம்.

    This work has as its general structural aspects like புயம் extolling the valour of the hero, மறம் depicting the denial of a மறவன் to give his daughter in marriage to the King, the female game called அம்மானை, an alchemy called சித்து, the magician’s act called சம்பிரதம் and another female game called ஊசல். The parts of அகத்துறை like one-sided love called கைக்கிளை, the arrival of the foreteller called குறம். the paling of the heroine due to separation from the hero, known as இரங்கல், etc., are some of the other details we find in this திருக்காவலூர்க் கலம்பகம்.

    You will appreciate the realities of Tamil life presented in myriad poetic forms of literature as reflection of culture, after having gone through these lessons.