Sunday, April 9, 2017

Kambar 1966 India Stamp

Wishes  it's  readers  *Happy  Ramanavami* today  coincidence  we  need  to  write  on Kambar the author of the Ramavataram, popularly known as *Kambaramayanam*

Kambar (Kamban in casual address) 12th - Century poet  born in Tiruvaluntur, Tanjore district was a medieval  Tamil poet and the author of the Ramavataram, popularly known as *Kambaramayanam*, the Tamil version of Ramayana. Kambar also authored  few  other literary works in Tamil, such as 'Thirukkai Vazakkam',  and 'Sarasvati Anthati.'  etc.

Kambar belonged to the uvachchar caste, traditionally priests in southern India.However, he was brought up in the household of a wealthy farmer named Sadaiyepa Vallal in Vennai Nellur in Tamil Nadu. The Chola king—having heard of this talented bard—summoned him to his court and honoured him with the title Kavi Chakravarty (The Emperor of Poets).

Kamban flourished in Therazhundur, a village in the culturally rich Thanjavur District in the modern state of Tamil Nadu in South India. Kamban was a great scholar of India's two ancient and rich languages; Sanskrit and Tamil.

The original version of Ramayana was written by Valmiki. It is an epic of 24,000 verses which depicts the journey of Rama, a prince of Ayodhya who belonged to  Raghuvamsa (Solar dynasty). In  Hinduism,  Rama is the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, one of the Trimurti (the Hindu holy trinity which includes Brahma  and Shiva).

The Ramavataram or Kamba Ramayanam of Kamban is an epic of about 11,000 stanzas, as opposed to Valmiki's 24000 couplets. The Rama-avataram or Rama-kathai as it was originally called was accepted into the holy precincts in the presence of Vaishnava Acharya Nathamuni.

Kamba Ramayana is not a verbal translation of the Sanskrit epic by Valmiki, but a retelling of the story of Lord Rama.

Legend has it that the entire episode was written in one night by Lord Ganesh. Ganesha is said to have written the poems that Kambar dictated to him during the night, as Kambar procrastinated the work till the day before the deadline set by the King.

Many Tamil poets, statesmen, kings, and common people have praised Kambar for his Kambaramayanam, which has more than 10,000 songs and more than 45,000 lines, forming one of the greatest epics of Tamil.

"Kamba Sutram" is a phrase used by Tamil people in their day-to-day activity. It was actually originally "Kamba Chithiram", only denoting Kamban's art. However, over period of time it rendered as "Kamba Sutram". The phrase is used just like "rocket science", which clearly denotes that skills of Kambar in writing poem with viruthapa is as difficult as "rocket science".

Kamba Ramayana was first delivered in Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple,  Srirangam at the court hall (Kambar Arangetra Mandapam) near Thaayar sannithi. The Swami applauded by laughing out aloud from his Sanctum Sanctora (Mettu Narasimhar Sannidhi), and this was taken as proof of approval.

Department of Posts released commemorative postage stamp on Kambar

Issued Date 05. 04.1966
Denomination: 15 Paise

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