Governor R.N. Ravi on Saturday said Kamba Ramayana played a pivotal role in making the story of Lord Rama accessible to the common people. Kambar’s work served as an inspiration for poets in other languages to write their own versions of the Ramayana, he added.

Speaking at Kamba Chiththiram Vizha: A Celebration of Kambar and Raman at the Raj Bhavan in Chennai, Mr. Ravi said, “The story of Lord Rama is beloved across the country and close to the heart of every citizen. But how did the story, originally written by Valmiki in Sanskrit, reach the common people? It was Kambar who composed this great epic in Tamil, one of the oldest and richest languages, thus bringing the Ramayana to the masses.”

Earlier, Mr. Ravi paid floral tributes to the portrait of Kambar and visited the Kamba Ramayana photo exhibition at the Raj Bhavan. H.V. Hande, former Tamil Nadu Minister and Sudha Seshayyan, former Vice-Chancellor of The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, among others, were present.