About Thiruvalluvar:
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Thiruvalluvar, also called Valluvar, was a Tamil poet-saint.
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He is regarded as a cultural and moral icon for Tamils across caste and religious lines.
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The period when he lived is debated, as is his religious identity.
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Some place him in the third or fourth century; others put him in the eighth or ninth.
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Some call him a Hindu; some trace his past to Jainism; Dravidian groups count him as a saint, as he dismissed the caste system.
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His primary work Thirukkural (contribution to Tamil Literature) contains 1330 couplets (kurals).
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The text is divided into three parts with teachings on dharma, artha, and kama (virtue, wealth and love).
Social Significance of Thiruvalluvar:
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A statue of the legendary Tamil poet was unveiled in Ulsoor, near Bengaluru, in 2009. A statue of Valluvar was also erected outside the School of Oriental and African Studies in Russell Square, London.
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A 133-foot tall statue of Thiruvalluvar stands at Kanyakumari as well.
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The Thiruvalluvar University was established in Vellore district of Tamilnadu by the Government of Tamilnadu in October 2002.
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In 1976, a temple-memorial called Valluvar Kotam was built in Chennai and houses one of the largest auditoriums in Asia.
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In the early 16th century, a temple dedicated to Thiruvalluvar was built within the Ekambareswarar temple complex in Mylapore, Chennai.