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இளங்குமரனார் தமிழ்வளம் - 27
In September 1950, the death of Maraimalai Adigal left a big void in the Tamil world. By his last will and testament, he hadbequeathed his very considerable privare library of rare Tamil books and other scholarly works to the Kazhagam, and this priceless collection of about 4000 books was to become the necleusof the Maraimalai Adigal Memorial Library, which was duly opened by Tiru. M. Bhaktavatsalam on 24th August 1958, in a historic building in Linghi Chetti Street, The building has seminal associations with Ramalinga Vallalar, who is said to have delivered his rirst impromptu discourse there to and astonished assembly. The Library began with the 4000 of the Maraimalai Adigal collection and anothe 5000 in the Kazhagam's garner. Since then there have been steady accessions, includiug whole libraries like that of the historian,the late V. Rangachari; and today the library has about 35,000 books and rare manuscripts. Although located in a crowded part of the city, the Library is the haunt of Tamil scholars old and yound; nd, for the committed, it is what anideal Library shouldbe, a louseof Perpetual Enlightenment. I may be added that Maraimalai Adigal's ownhouse in Pallavaramhas also been turned by the Kazhagaminto a memorial Kalai Manram, and is serving the cause of arts and letters during the last two decades.
What becomes clear when lone reads Pulavar llan kumaran's account of the life of Tiru.Va. Subbiah Pilai is that the biography merges with the history of a dedicated family, as also with that of Kazhagamand its collateral institutions, and even with that of the Pure Tamil movement and the Tamil literary renaissance witnessed during the last sixty years. Tiruvaranganar and Va Su were closely linkedwith Maraimalai Adigal as disciples and heirs to his ministry in the service of Tamil. If Tiruvaranganar became the Adigal's son-in-law also, on Va Su fell the responsibility of cherishing and fostering the Maraimalai tradiontgs of integrity and high seriousness in Tamil scholarship. After performing the marriage of Tiruvaranganar's daughters, Mayilamami and Muthammal, Va Su thought of the marriageof his own daughters Vadivazhagiar and Vairamaniyar. The former was married in 1956 to Kalyansundaram, Va Su's
