It is a matter of pride for all of us that our Tamil language remains one of the world’s oldest languages that is still vibrantly alive today, stated the Hon. Governor of the Northern Province, N. Vethanayahan.
The event titled “Tamil Language Day and Swami Vipulananthar Memorial Day – 2026,” celebrating the Tamil language and culture, was held in grand style today – on Friday 24 July 2026, at the Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre in Jaffna. The Governor made the above remarks while addressing the gathering at the event.
Continuing his speech, the Governor further stated:
“It is our Tamil language that brings us pride. It is our language that gave the Thirukkural to the world and possesses rich literature and grammar.
Although Swami Vipulananthar was proficient in many languages, including Tamil, English, and Sanskrit, he devoted most of his time and effort to the development of his mother tongue, Tamil. Just as he loved the Tamil language, he also respected other languages. His vision of acquiring global knowledge and making it accessible to people through the Tamil language continues to serve as a great guiding principle in the field of education even today. One of his greatest achievements is the ‘Yazh Nool’. By researching and publishing information that had remained hidden for centuries, he produced this remarkable work, which showcases to the world the greatness of Tamil artistic civilization and musical heritage.
Swami Vipulananthar himself is the finest example of the fact that when a person works selflessly for knowledge and society, their name will live forever even after they have passed away. Therefore, let us all follow the path of knowledge that he showed us, preserve the Tamil language, and protect our culture,” the Governor said in his address.
During the event, the special book titled ‘The Contribution of Sri Lankans to the Tamil Language’ was officially launched by the Hon. Governor of the Northern Province. The first copy of the book was received from the Hon. Governor by the Hon. Shri Sai Murali, Consul General of the Consulate General of India in Jaffna.
The Chief Guest, Hon. R. Chandrasekar, Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, was unable to attend the event in person due to unavoidable reasons. However, his special address for the occasion was played in audio form during the event.
Earlier, at 9:00 a.m., a grand Tamil cultural procession commenced from the premises of Jaffna Vaitheeswara College and proceeded along Kankesanthurai Road and Hospital Road before reaching the Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre in Jaffna. The procession featured decorated floats depicting Swami Vipulananthar, literature, music, and drama. It also included several traditional cultural performances such as horse dance, Poikkal Kuthirai, Vasanthan Kummi, peacock dance, Koladdam, Kavadi and Karagaddam, adding grandeur to the procession.
The event was jointly organized by the Department of Official Languages, the Jaffna District Secretariat, the University of Jaffna and the Jaffna Tamil Sangam. It was chaired by Jaffna District Secretary Maruthalingam Piiratheeban. Professor Arunachalam Shanmugadas, President of the Jaffna Tamil Sangam, delivered the welcome address. Commissioner General of the Department of Official Languages Thilak Nandana Kettiarachchi and Professor Bharathi Kennedy delivered special addresses. Dr. Aruthirumurugan, Founder of the Sivapoomi Foundation, delivered the Swami Vipulananthar memorial address. The book launch address was delivered by Senior Lecturer Swaminathan Vimal of the University of Jaffna. Various cultural performances showcasing traditional heritage were also presented.
