Why Preserve Tamil Heritage?

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Topic started by Chandra on Sat Jan 22 15:03:12 .


Taken from "thamiz maNam" a magazine of the Georgia Tamil Sangam, Atlanta.

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"Why Preserve Tamil Heritage?"
P. Chandrasekaran, Atlanta, perichandra@yahoo.com

That is the only means to connect with one’s own ancestors hundreds of generations back.Tamil heritage is the only record of the sentiments, habits and customs typical of those of one’s own forefathers! Simply ask yourself the following series of questions :
· Have I seen my grandparents? Played with them?
· How much do I know about my great grandparents? Any images of them?
· Do I know at least the names of my great-great-grandparents?
· Wouldn’t I love to have any information about my forefathers?
· ….What information do I have of my forefathers 50 generations back (1000 years ago)?
· What information do I have of my forefathers 100 generations back (2000 years ago)? What kind of Tamil did my own great-great….great-grandmother speak? What was the typical music she was listening to? Her marriage ceremonies? Moral sentiments?
· What is the choicest artifact that can I leave behind that will serve as memory of myself in my descendants 1000 years from now? What role models do I leave behind for them?
· How do I ensure that I and my progeny systematically care about the memories of my own forefathers who lived thousands of years ago?
· The world seems to be getting homogenized. Everybody seems to act like everybody else even when they don’t have to. Variety in the world is fast disappearing! Will the mankind end up with a robotic uniformity 100 years from now meaning there will be even less specificity of memories of my own forefathers and of myself? Will my life, feelings and soul be lost and forgotten in the technological rat race?

Tamil heritage has preserved the choicest artifacts over the past thousands of years. The timeless sangam classics have preserved the superb diction, subtle sentiments, graceful and profound customs of 2000 years ago! Tamil language is the key to that treasury. Enjoying that wealth is the only way to save it! Let us allocate time and space to appreciate it and to pass it on to our children.
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