THANJAVUR: In the quiet corridors of Thanjavur, where centuries-old wisdom rests between brittle palm leaves and fading paper, Tamil Pundit Mani Maran finds his true calling—not just in preserving the past, but in passing it on. Even after the day’s work ends, his mission continues as the 55-year-old sits with eager students, guiding them through the intricate art of reading ancient Tamil manuscripts. What began as a quiet passion has now grown into a mission—to train the next generation to unlock the forgotten voices of Tamil heritage, one script at a time.
Every Sunday evening, on a rented premises adjoining a temple on South Main Street in Thanjavur, 15 students gather around him to learn “Tamil Suvadiyiyal” — the study of old Tamil palm leaf and paper manuscripts. “There are lakhs of manuscripts in India, but only about 10% have been read and published. There’s still so much hidden knowledge waiting to be discovered,” says Maran, who holds a doctorate in Tamil.
This journey began in 2017 when he and a few friends felt the urgent need to train more people in manuscript reading. Together, they formed a non-profit trust called Yedagam – Education, Social Development and Research Centre. Their mission is to teach others how to read and publish ancient Tamil texts.
They started with evening classes, two or three times a week, after work hours. The first batch had 14 students. Over time, Yedagam partnered with institutions like the International Institute of Tamil Studies and Bharathidasan University to offer recognised certificate and diploma courses.
Since then, Mani Maran and his team have trained over 110 students. Some of them — M Mahalakshmi, S Abinaya, and P Jayaprakash — now help teach too. Many trained students have landed jobs in Tamil Virtual University, the Siddha Central Research Institute, the HR & CE Department, and Tamil University’s research projects.
Interestingly, among those trained are 20 Siddha doctors. Dr R Kalaimani, who now works with the Siddha Central Research Institute in Chennai, says the course helped her read ancient medical treatises that are still in manuscript form. “This training has been very useful in my work,” she adds.
“Some hymns from the Tevaram are still missing. They could be lying in some undeciphered manuscript. I found four lost lines from the Vinayagar Agaval by Avvaiyar,” says Mani Maran.
While some join the course for job opportunities, others are driven by pure curiosity and love for Tamil history. One such student is Saravanamurthy, a farmer from Ammapettai, who says, “I want to be able to read temple inscriptions on my own.” Another, Karthik, an IT professional turned organic farmer, is also learning out of passion.
Mani Maran has so far authored 30 books, including 12 based on manuscripts. His textbook “Ennum Ezhuthum” has seen six editions and is now part of the Saraswathi Mahal Library collection.
Even with limited funds, Yedagam hasn’t stopped teaching. It hosts monthly lectures by scholars, IAS officers, and judges. It also gives awards to honour outstanding contributions to Tamil studies.
For Mani Maran, this is not just about language — it’s about identity, history, and keeping Tamil’s timeless voice alive. “As long as there are manuscripts left unread, there’s more to learn about our past,” he says with quiet determination.
(Edited by Subhalakshmi PR)