Kundrakkudi Adigalaar
- As a person who took up asceticism at a very early age, he went on to bring about a lot of reforms in the Tiruvannamalai Aadheenam.
- He was vehemently against caste bias and other biases that led to the inequality in the society. A combination of spirituality and rationality is hard to come across. Being one of this rare breed of religious leaders, he weeded out a lot of irrational practices.
- Despite disagreeing with Periyar’s atheist principles, he whole-heartedly welcomed Periyar’s other reforms that led to the society’s progress.
- Most spiritual leaders of that era did not believe in commenting on the political happenings. But being the rationalist he is, Kundrakkudi Adigalar shared a beautiful bond with Periyar. He has openly appreciated Periyar’s reforms at various meetings of Dravidian parties.
- He cannot be thanked enough for his contributions to the development of Tamil language. He raised his voice for making Tamil an official language.
- Spiritual leader, activist, rationalist – you’d think a person can’t get any better. But there is more to him. He was an excellent orator who could speak on a wide range of topics. Be it a spiritual debate or a discussion of history and politics, he could sway the audience with his rich oratory skills.
- He shattered the rules that said spiritual leaders shouldn’t cross the seas and appealed to the audience of Malaysia, Singapore and America with his vibrant ideologies. In addition to taking his ideology beyond the seas, he also succeeded in winning the hearts of the common man. His sheer simplicity in reaching out to every human and moving with them like a brother would, really stood out in the era that supported untouchability.
- He believed that pursuit of science is what would push mankind forward. In his speeches to children, he stressed on the importance of learning science. By doing so he encouraged the younger generation to debunk decades of myths.