The State government has announced the recipients of its annual awards conferred upon those who have worked for the development of the Tamil language. The awards will be presented by Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa at a function on April 15.
A statement from the government said the Tamil Thaai, U Ve Su and Kapilar Awards are presented to coincide with the first day of the Tamil month of Chitrai, which is celebrated as the Tamil New Year by Tamilians the world over.
The 2013 Tamil Thaai Award for service to the Tamil language is to be conferred upon the Delhi Tamil Sangam. The award carries a Rs 5 lakh cash prize, a shield and a citation. Jayalalithaa will also hand over the Kapilar Award for work in traditional poetry and couplets to poet Muthulingam, and the U Ve Su Award for service to Tamil through the publication of materials on ancient manuscripts and works to M V Pasupathi.
The Chief Minister will also present the two newly constituted Kambar Award, for work in spreading the messages in the Kamaba Ramayanam, and the Sollin Selvar Award, for the leading speaker on literary issues, to B Ramani and M Lokanayaki. These awards carry a `1 lakh cash prize, a one sovereign gold medal, a citation and a silk shawl.
Jayalalithaa will also inaugurate the Tamil New Year Book Fair to be held on the grounds of the Lady Willingdon Institute of Advanced Study in Education through video-conferencing.