Tamil is a language. But, Tamizh is an emotion.
54-year-old Deepak Swaminathan, entrepreneur, start-up mentor and author, knows a thing or two about this. As the great-great-grandson of UV Swaminatha Iyer — fondly called ‘Tamizh Thatha’ by Tamilians across the globe — he comes from a legacy rooted in the preservation of knowledge. Today, armed with over 25 years of experience in the multimedia training and experiential events space, Deepak has embarked on a series of projects to put the spotlight on ‘Tamizh Thatha’.
UV Swaminatha Iyer (1855-1942) is best known for devoting his life to Tamil literature; he travelled across Tamil Nadu collecting palm-leaf manuscripts and saved ancient Tamil literature from destruction. Scholars believe that it is primarily due to his efforts that we still have access to classics like Silappathikaram and Manimekalai. “His contribution was as much about ‘method’ as it was about ‘discovery’,” describes Deepak, “He pioneered modern textual criticism in Tamil. He didn’t just find texts; he spent years cross-referencing multiple versions to ensure accuracy, adding detailed commentaries, and providing historical context.”
Newly revamped Connemara Library offers better spaces for Chennai’s book lovers, researchers
