The Tamil Poet Avvaiyar

No one with even some smattering knowledge of Tamil would be unfamiliar with the name of Avvaiyaar. Even those who have not studied and illiterate would have gathered some knowledge about her at sometime or other.
Among the female Tamil poets, the one known to all without exception as the most celebrated learned woman who shone with name and fame over ancient times was Avvaiyaar.
The name Avvai would denote a mother also. It will be applicable to any aged woman too. Over a very long time, it had been customary to add suffix ‘yaar’ to those learned women poets who have held pride of place for a considerable period in public mind.
It is said that in our country, the name of any person venerated as Avvaiyaar does not apply to just one, but many. There has been a long felt discontentment, that proper historical records have not been preserved systematically about celebrated Tamil scholars of ancient times. Therefore, women poets that have lived at different times were generally categorised as Avvaiyaars. On account of this, we only know of Sanga-kaala Avvaiyaar and later-times Avvaiyaar in general, and till this date no categorical conclusions have been arrived at in clear terms. As a consequence many stories attributed to Avvaiyaar have to be believed as genuine and many others doubtful.
Still, in Tamilnad of ancient times, it is clear that besides male poets, many female poets too contributed in equal measure. As we learn about this, it leads to a conclusive evidence that in olden times women's education too had taken a deep root and encouraged.
Even though we do not know clearly where Avvaiyaar was born and who were her parents it is firmly believed that many Avvaiyaars existed at different times.
Let us now enjoy to read through many interesting stories prevailing amongst us.
Paalum thelithaenum paahum parupumivai
Naalung kalandhu naan tharuvaen - kolamchei
Thungak karimuhathuth thoomaniye neeenakuch
Sangath thamizh moondrundh thaa.
(I will give you milk, honey, jaggery and pulses/ nuts. Please give me the three parts of Tamil Literature viz..IYAL, ISAI AND NAATAKAM)