NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, MAY 15
Tamil Nadu IT & Digital Services Minister T Mano Thangaraj and Minister of Minorities Welfare Gingee KS Masthan on Sunday took to Twitter and shared a video of a Church choir singing Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu or Tamil Nadu State Song, the invocation to Mother Tamil, at a canonization ceremony in the Vatican in Italy.
Courtesy: T Mano Thangaraj, TN Minister for IT & Digital Services from Vatican
Sharing the video on Twitter, Mano Thangaraj wrote, “Pride of Tamils echoed in Italy.. Devasahayam Pillai from Tamil Nadu, who lived in the 18th century has been greeted by singing Tamil greetings at a canonization ceremony and made Tamil proud.” (sic).
எத்திசையும் புகழ்மணக்க இருந்தபெரும் #தமிழணங்கே! https://t.co/4nAVp6m7Cb pic.twitter.com/eu9g1WTVgI
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) May 15, 2022
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin posted a tweet, picking a verse from the invocation song that signified that Tamil is honoured and acclaimed in all the directions. Devasahayam Pillai, who embraced Christianity in the 18th century, on Sunday became the first Indian lay man to be declared a saint by Pope Francis during an impressive canonisation ceremony at the Vatican.
Tamil Nadu Minister of Minorities Welfare Gingee KS Masthan who represented the State government in the ceremony, also tweeted that the Tamil language was honoured by rendering the invocation to mother Tamil at the canonisation (cultural) programme of Devasahayam Pillai in Vatican.
The song was sung by six nuns from Tamil Nadu. Minister for IT and Digital Services Mano Thangaraj and Chairman of TN Minorities Commission S Peter Alphonse were part of the official delegation from tamil Nadu.
The invocation, ‘Neerarum Kadaludutha’ is a poem authored by renowned Tamil scholar professor P Sundaram Pillai (1855-1897), the author of the popular drama ‘Manonmaniam (1891).’ He is reverentially addressed as Manonmaniam Sundaranar and the Tirunelveli-based State-run varsity is named after him.
Last year, the Tamil Nadu government had announced Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu as the state anthem. The invocation enjoys official status since 1970 and the then Chief Minister, late M Karunanidhi-led DMK government had issued a Government Order in this regard.
