The Hindu, which generally focuses on reports, mostly trumped up, on North Indians in Tamil Nadu trying to impose Hindi on Tamilians by distorting other disputes as language supremacy narrative. In a very welcome and a refreshingly positive report, it has published a story of a Sardar hailing from Hoshiyarpur, Punjab who grew up in Chennai and has used the Covid lockdown period to painstakingly preserve the eternal truths embodied in the literary classic, Thirukkural.

As the Thirukkural says, “ Kedayil vizhuchelvam kalvi oruvaruku, madalla matrai yavai” , translated in English as “Learning is the only imperishable wealth, others are not true riches” 10 years ago, these words inspired the 58-year-old Jaswant Singh to begin his journey of learning the Thirukkural.

Jaswant has completed writing the entire 1,330 couplets of Thirukkural on palm leafs, using an ezhuthani (metal stylus), from the end of 2019 and utilised the lockdown period for his mission to preserve the Thirukkurals for future generations.

The Hindu reports that Mr. Singh is a civil engineer by profession and passionate nature lover. At his house in Mogappair, he painstakingly works on a small table with the stylus in his hand smoothly engraving words on it.

A turbanated Srdar wearing reciting the Thirukkural couplets in chaste Tamil surprised many in Tamil Nadu.

He told the The Hindu, “I am a native of Hoshiyarpur in Punjab, but I grew up in Chennai. I did my schooling from a Hindi-medium school and realised the potency of Tamil much later in life. I started learning various literature, and 10 years ago, started reading Thirukkural. It is the only text applicable to all religions and races. It is applicable to mankind, always, and is not restricted to a particular time period.”

Passionate about the Thirukkural, he embarked on a mission to preserve it for future generations by engraving it on palm leaves.

Jaswant said, “Though I started in 2019, I used the lockdown to my advantage, as I was home. I got some palm leaves from a tree without the nongu (ice-apple), put it in hot water, along with some spices and papaya leaves for softening. After drying them in the shade, I started writing the kurals on them.”

He applies a mixture of ash, from burning spinach like leaves, and lemongrass oil, to make the engravings on the palm leaves clear. He uses well primed and dried palm leaves which would preserve it for years together and can be passed on generation to generation as rich legacy.

He said, “This can be preserved for hundreds of years. Children should also start writing the names of family members and ancestors on such palm leaves so they can be passed on from one generation to another.”

This effort of Jaswant Singh inspires many to transcend language and regional barriers to learn and preserve the treasure of knowledge and morals of our ancient country to be imbibed for future generations.

 

News source: Man on a mission: preserving Thirukkural on palm leaves – The Hindu , Image from The Hindu

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