Sheik Thambi Pavlar

Sheik Thambi Pavalar was a doyen among Tamil Scholars of his period. He was an authority on ‘Kamba Ramayanam’. He was also an orator who could hold the audience spellbound. He is popularly known as ‘Sadavadani’, which means one who has a grasp on many different aspects of knowledge at a moment. He wrote many books and more important among them are ‘Thirukkottaru’ Pathirthupathu Anthathi and Thirunagoor Thiruvantathi. He also wrote a commentary on Seerappuranam.

He was born on July 31 in the year 1874 to Pakeer Meeran and Amina Ummal in Edalkudy Village, near Nagercoil, Kanniyakumari. Handloom weaving was the main occupation of this place. Parents of Sheik Thambi were also involved in this occupation.

He was sent to a Malayalam Primary School at the age of eight. Due to poverty he could not continue his school education as he had to help his parents in their occupation, even before he reached the age of ten.

Though he dropped out of school at a very early age, he joined a ‘guru-kulam’ school, conducted by Sankara Narayana Annavi. Within a short period, with the help of his guru, he not only mastered ancient Tamil literature and grammar but also developed oratorical and poetic talents.

At the age of twenty-one he went to Chennai along with Hazarat Syed Thahalebbai to put into print ‘Meygnana Thirupadal Thirattu’ (about 6000 poems) of the Sufi Saint Gnanlar Appa in Sri Padmavilasam Printing Press owned by Itta Parthasarathy Naidu. Impressed by the talents of Sheik Thambi, Itta Parthasarathy Naidu appointed him as publishing manager in his printing press. During this period he published ‘Seera Puranam’ (5027 poems). In one of the public meetings presided by Itta Parthasarathy Naidu he was conferred the title of ‘Pavalar’ at the age of twenty-seven.

Sheik Thambi Pavalar gained widespread popularity after his manifestation of ‘Arupta’ of Ramalinga Adigalar as ‘Arupta’. He performed ‘Sodasavadanam’ on one Friday in 1906 in front of the Arippu Street Juma Masjid. At the end of the function Sadavadanam Subaramonia Iyer conferred the title of ‘Mahamadi’ (intellectual giant) and the president of the function conferred the title of ‘Sadavadani’ on him.

Several other titles, like Devamirtha Prasanka Kalanchiya, Tamil Perunkadal, Kalai Kadal, Allama etc., were conferred on him.

In 1907, he married Mohamed Fathima Beevi at Kottar. He was included in the Tamil Sangam, Madurai established by Pandithurai Thevar. While he was living at Kottar, people benefited from his scholarly attributes. He was also associated with Indian National Congress in the year 1920. He was a strong supporter of Khadi.

He died on February 13, 1950.