Porunai: Reviving a name lost in time

Than Porunai and Aan Porunai both find a place in Tholkappiam, an ancient treatise on Tamil grammar. Than Porunai is also mentioned in the Sangam work Purananuru.
The view of the Thamirabarani River at Papanasam temple | Express
The view of the Thamirabarani River at Papanasam temple | Express

THOOTHUKUDI: Amid the euphoria around Chief Minister MK Stalin’s recent announcement that the Thamirabarani civilisation dates back to 3,200 years, the literary community has hailed the State government for calling the river by its historical name ‘Porunai.’

The only major perennial river in Tamil Nadu, Thamirabarani has been mentioned as Porunai, Than Porunai, Porunal and Poruntham in Tamil literature — right from the Sangam era to Nayakar era (6th century BCE to 17th century CE). The Amaravathi river flowing in Chera region has been called Aan Porunai and Than Aan Porunai. 

Than Porunai and Aan Porunai both find a place in Tholkappiam, an ancient treatise on Tamil grammar. Than Porunai is also mentioned in the Sangam work Purananuru. One of the greatest works in Tamil literature, Kamba Ramayanam, the epic written by Tamil poet Kambar in the 12th century, calls the river Porunai, while Periya Puranam (Great Purana) in the same period records it as ‘Than Poruntham’ in a song about ‘a very cold river’.

Researchers say there are also countless inscriptions across the State, where the name of the river is mentioned as Than Poruntham. They further say ‘Than Porunai’ evolved into ‘Tamira Porunai’ and before becoming ‘Thamirabarani’.    

Professor Sivasubramanian said Porunai is a non-Sanskritised word. “It is the right word for Thamirabarani. Even the writers belonging to Nayaka period had mentioned the river as Porunai,” he said. Dr Maheswaran, a retired anthropologist too told TNIE that Porunai is the pure Tamil word for ‘Thamirabarani’, as the latter is the Sanskritised version. “I am delighted with the terminology of Tamil Nadu government,” he said. Maheswaran, also a linguist, said reviving names from old literature reminds the newer generations of their connection with ancient ones. “It is also called as linguistic revivalism and would further help in strengthening Tamil culture and traditions,” he said.

Professor Sudhakar of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University said paddy cultivation has continued in the Porunai river valley for nearly three millennia. Similarly, radiocarbon dating of organic paddy found in the graves of Adichanallur had revealed its age as 850 BCE, he said. Amid reports that information on Adichanallur excavations isn’t being fully revealed, Sudhakar appealed to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the State Archaeology Department to join hands, to ‘dig out’ lost chapters of Tamil Nadu’s glorious history and preserve it for posterity.

Thamirabarani: Word watch

  •  Than Porunai finds a place in Tholkappiam, an ancient treatise on Tamil grammar
  •  Than Porunai eventually became ‘Thamirabarani’
  •  Researchers say Porunai is a non-Sanskritised word and should replace the word Thamirabarani

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