2 weeks Ago
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Textbooks and Educational Services Corporation has begun work on translating the Tamil twin epics Silappadikaram and Manimekalai into 25 foreign and Indian languages. The translations, which are expected to be completed in three years, will be packed with information about the characters, sub-stories and flora and fauna of that period. Silappadikaram, the tale of an anklet, was authored by Ilango Adigal.
Manimekalai, a sequel to Silappadikaram, tells the story of the daughter of Kovalan and Madhavi who later becomes a Buddhist nun. It was authored by Seethalai Sathanar. These epics elaborate on the cultural traditions and social tenets of the Tamils, including integrity in public affairs, citizen rights, excellence in trade, communal harmony, hunger eradication, prison reforms and feminism.
"We have identified translation agencies, translators and co-publishers. We are targeting to translate these epics into at least ten languages before the second World Classical Tamil Conference in June 2025," said T Sankara Saravanan, joint director (translations) of Tamil Nadu Textbooks and Educational Services Corporation. The corporation is planning to translate the epics into 13 world languages -- English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, German, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Italian, Portuguese, Malay and Turkish.
The 12 Indian languages include Assamese, Bengali, Hindi, Gujarati, Malayalam, Telugu, Punjabi, Odiya, Kannada and Marathi. "There are around 50 characters in Silappadikaram. But most people know only about a few characters.
The epic details the five types of Tamil land, lifestyles and culture, and the flora and fauna of that era. We are planning to provide information about the flora and fauna as an annexure to these translations," he added. Manimekalai is the only epic belonging to Buddhism in any language.
Manimekalai uses Akshaya Patra (an inexhaustible vessel) to eradicate hunger. It details various religious practices of that time. The state govt has allocated Rs 2 crore for the translation project in the budget.
The corporation plans to release 60 children's textbooks translated from 12 countries across the world in November. "We are translating the Sherlock Holmes volumes into Tamil to introduce the detective novel to Tamil readers. It would be popular among Tamil students," Sankara Saravanan said.
The corporation plans to release 160 translated works in November..
