Tamil literary work, Akananuru

An Anthology of Poems from among the earliest Tamil literary work, Akananuru, translated and annotated by George L. Hart, Emeritus Professor of Tamil, was released by Philippe Janvier Kamiyama, Consul-General of France in Puducherry at the 60{+t}{+h}anniversary of the French Institute of Pondicherry (IFP).
“The Akananuru is the longest collection in the Tamil Sangam anthologies. It is one of the seminal works of classical India and contains poems that are among the finest ever written in India or anywhere else.
Its use of imagery can be striking and sublime, but even more. Its evocation of life 2,000 years ago in all its aspects rings true.
The aim of this translation is to make Akananuru accessible to those who know English,” according to George L. Hart, Emeritius Professor of Tamil at the University of California, Berkeley.
Other works
Mr. Hart’s publications include works on the nature of classical Tamil society and culture, investigations into Dravidian influence on classical Sanskrit literature.
He has worked for the recognition of Tamil as one of the world’s classical languages. He is a recipient of the Kural Peedam, the Tamilperayan Award and the Padmashri.



Akananuru is one of the seminal works of classical India and contains poems that are among the finest ever written


The Hindu