At a time when DMK and BJP are locked in an ideological battle over competing visions and versions of nationalism, Tamil Nadu’s ruling party appears to have found a secular icon in Vallalar, the 19th-century saint from Cuddalore who rejected rituals, challenged caste hierarchies and preached that the divine is omnipresent in light.Since returning to power in 2021, the DMK govt has worked to embed Vallalar in public imagination as a symbol of the Dravidian model. In 2021, the govt declared Vallavar’s birth anniversary on Oct 5 as ‘Thaniperum Karunai Naal’ (Benevolence Day). A year later, a panel was constituted to mark his 200th birth anniversary. In 2023, the govt announced the Vallalar Biodiversity Reserves scheme. In 2024, came the groundwork for a Vallalar International Centre in Cuddalore. In 2025, the govt announced that Thiruvottiyur High Road, where Vallalar once lived, would be renamed ‘Vallalar Nedunchalai’. Plans were also announced for an international conference on the saint.The conference was held on Feb 15 at Ekambaranathar School in Chennai. Though Vallalar established his ‘Sathiya Gnana Sabai’ (hall of true wisdom) in Vadalur and the place is now most closely associated with him, he lived there for less than a decade. “Much of his life was spent in Chennai. It was he who gave the city the moniker ‘Tharumamigu Chennai’ (Charitable Chennai), for its inclusiveness and warmth, which is why holding an international conference on Vallalar in Chennai is more than apt,” says writer Tamilmagan, who chronicled the saint’s life in his novel ‘Gnaalam’.“These are times when clamour for rigid temple rituals is growing louder,” says Tamilmagan, a reference to the ongoing Karthigai Deepam controversy over the lighting of a traditional lamp on a stone pillar atop Thiruparankundram Hill in Tamil Nadu. “Vallalar found little meaning in temple ceremonies. That is why in his Sathiya Gnana Sabai there are no rituals.”Born a Saivite, he distanced himself from the sect and opposed sanatana dharma, fought against caste hierarchy, fought for women’s empowerment, and praised Thirukkural and the Tamil language (Vallalar debated with Sankaracharya that while Sanskrit may be the ‘mother tongue’, Tamil is the ‘father tongue’), all of which work in line with tenets of the Dravidian model.“Vallalar comes in handy for secularists and rationalists,” says P Saravanan, a researcher on Vallalar. “He made no distinctions based on caste or gender. His only differentiation was between meat-eaters and non-meat-eaters. His Sathiya Gnana Sabai imposed no restrictions. He also condemned widowhood practices such as tonsuring, removal of jewellery and forcing them to wear white sarees.”It wasn’t long before the reformer earned the wrath of his contemporaries. “In the final decade of his life, Vallalar formally renounced Saivism and founded his own faith: Universal Fraternity. But people, including many of his followers, still project Vallalar as a Saivite saint,” says V Devendran, a Tamil professor, whose doctoral work examined the print history of Vallalar’s writings. Vallalar composed more than 5,000 poems across six volumes collectively known as ‘Thiru Arutpa’. While the first five books are devotional, in the sixth he goes beyond spirituality, says Devendran. “He criticises discrimination based on religion, gender and caste and gender, and urges followers to embrace the divine as light. This book was considered revolutionary and not published until the early 20th century.”Rationalist leader Periyar E V Ramasamy popularised the poems from the sixth book. “Periyar’s associate Sami Chidambaranar selected 100 poems from the sixth book and published them through Kudi Arasu publications. They were sold at a low price to ensure they reached a wide audience,” says Saravanan, author of ‘Naveena Nokkil Vallalar’.It was because of such efforts that DMK founder C N Annadurai wrote in 1942: “If Vallalar re-entered this world today, he would never say a word against members of the self-respect movement. He will see Periyar as his true follower and feel happy.”Vallalar did not have a disciple like Vivekananda to carry his message to the world, says Devendran. “But by instituting university chairs, naming schemes after him and publishing authoritative editions of his works, the govt can take him to a younger generation.”The saint’s story1823: Vallalar was born Ramalinga Swamigal on Oct 5, in Marudhur in present-day Cuddalore district to Ramayya Pillai and Chinnammai, He displayed spiritual leanings from a young age. His family later moved to Ponneri near Chennai1826: The family moved to Veerasamy Pillai Street at Seven Wells area in Chennai, where Vallalar delivered sermons at the Kandhakottam temple near Parry’s Corner. Though compelled to marry, he showed little interest in domestic life1858: Vallalar left for Chidambaram in Cuddalore1867: He founded ‘Sathiya Dharma Salai’ which served free food to the poor, a practice that continues to this day 1872: He established Sathiya Gnana Sabai, a space without idols or rituals1874: On Jan 30, Vallalar disappeared from a locked room at Siddhi Valagam in Mettukuppam2007: DMK govt released a stamp in his honourLight and graceVallalar’s philosophy centred on ‘Jeevakarunyam’ (compassion for all beings) and ‘Arutperum Jothi’ (the eternal light of grace). His works include ‘Thiru Arutpa’, ‘Manumurai Kanda Vasagam’ and ‘Jeeva Karunya Ozhukkam’.‘Vaadiya payirai kandapothellam vaadinen’ (I would wither on seeing crops wither for want of water) remains Vallalar’s most cited line
