Umaru Pulavar

Umaru Pulavar ( _ta. உமறுப் புலவர்) was a Tamil Muslim poet from Tamil Nadu, India. Umaru Pulavar was born in 1642 in the town of Ettayapuram in Thoothukudi district. He is celebrated as one of the greatest Islamic Poets of India.

Early Life

The forefathers of the poet descended from Arabia, came to Tamil Nadu to sell perfumes and settled in Nagalapuram, before moving to Ettayapuram where the poet was born in 1642. Umaru Pulavar’s literary talents flourished under Kadikai Muthu Pulavar ( _ta. கடிகை முத்து புலவர்), court poet of the Ettayapuram Zamin. At the age of 16, Umaru Pulavar stole the national limelight by winning a literary debate with Vallai Varundhi, a renowned poet from North India. Umaru Pulavar was then made the court poet of the Ettayapuram Zamin.

Literary Works

"Seerapuranam" considered to be one of the best works by him, depicts the history related to Prophet Mohammed Nabi, and it contains 5,027 poems in three ‘Kandams’ (parts), which are Vilathathu Kandam, Noobuvathu Kandam and Hijurathu Kandam. Each of the ‘Kandams’ narrates various stages of the life of Nabi.

"Muthu Mozhil Malai" and "Sethakathi wedding poems" are among his other literary works.

Umaru Pulavar Memorial

Recently the Government of Tamil Nadu has opened a memorial constructed for Umaru Pulavar. The monument; a two-storied edifice, has a tomb and prayer hall in the ground floor with a library on the top floor and would be maintained by the Department of Information and Public Relations. A collection of 1,000 literary works of Umaru Pulavar would be added into the library in a phased manner.

References

Citation
title = Umaru Pulavar memorial inaugurated
newspaper = The Hindu
date = 2007-10-30
year = 2007
url = http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2007103059860600.htm&date=2007/10/30/&prd=th&

cite paper
author = Sanjay Subrahmanyam
title = The Diversity in Indian Islam
date = 2002
url = http://www.international.ucla.edu/southasia/article.asp?parentid=27779
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-06-09