AN INITIATIVE OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA TAMIL MANRAM
STATUE AND INSCRIPTION
IN SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA
"THIRUVALLUVAR" STATUE AND
"ALL THE WORLD MY HOME, ALL THE PEOPLE MY KIN" INSCRIPTION
INTRODUCTION
Mission
Tamil literature championed for a secular, global society. Two remarkable philosophical poets bring messages for the universal brotherhood and global harmony in their classic.
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To make Tamil language a global phenomenon and bring a sense of belonging to next generation Tamils.
Objective
(1) Identifying a suitable location for installing and
(2) building the following:
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a statue for the Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar
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an inscription for the Tamil quote "Yaadhum Oore Yaavarum Kelir" written by Kanian Pungundranar. (This quote is at present depicted in the United Nations Organization.)
Who are Tamils?
The Tamil people trace their ancestry to the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Union territory of Puducherry and to Sri Lanka. Tamils constitute 5.9% of the population in India (concentrated mainly in Tamil Nadu), 15% in Sri Lanka, 6% in Mauritius, 7% in Malaysia and 5% in Singapore. Tamils, with a world population of around 76 million and with a documented history stretching back over 2,000 years, are one of the largest and oldest extant ethnolinguistic groups in the modern world.
The Tamil diaspora in the San Francisco Bay area is estimated to be about 40,000 people today.
HISTORY
Tamil poets have brought messages for the universal brotherhood and global harmony in their classics.
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Thiruvalluvar:
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Thiruvalluvar is a poet philosopher who wrote Thirukkural (also known as Kural). Kural is a secular ethics books, called as the Scripture of the world. Researchers believe this was written somewhere between 2nd century B.C to 8th century A.D. George L. Hart, a Tamil scholar and retired Professor of Tamil Language at the University of Berkeley, California, when talking about Kural, says, "There is not a facet of human existence that is not explored and illuminated by this great literature."
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- Kanian Pungundranar:
- Kanian Pungundranar wrote a verse starting with "Yaadhum Oore Yaavarum Kelir" - A literal translation of this statement would mean "All the world my home, all the people my kin". This statement so powerfully embraces a culture of inclusiveness and builds a natural sense of belonging for any human being anywhere. This quote is at present depicted in the United Nations Organization.
Location
San Francisco Bay Area Tamil Manram is in the process of finding a suitable location to install the Statue and the Inscription in the San Francisco Bay Area. A number of parameters are being considered for choosing the site so that it would be useful for the community. San Francisco Bay Area Tamil Manram would gladly welcome community participation and feedback in this process.
A popular choice for the site would be the city of San Francisco. This is because San Francisco is the birthplace of the United Nations organization. The United Nations was founded on October 24, 1945 in San Francisco, California. Spreading the message of universal brotherhood and global harmony would be quintessential for the site.
1330
Total number of Thirukkurals
380
Book of Virtue
700
Book of Polity
250
Book of Love
PROJECTS
CONTACT
Inquiries
For any inquiries or questions, please email info@sfbatm.org or fill out the form given below:
Address
P.O. Box 362329,
Milpitas, CA 95036-2329
Ph: 510-516-4312