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Tamil Grantha alphabets (தமிழ் க்ரந்த எழு்த்துக்கள்)

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It seems that I have not put forward my proposition clearly. I do not propose that the present tamil alphabet be expanded with Grantha letters for use in writing Tamil. GODFORBID that a Brahmin sould have the temerity to mention any shortfall with Tamil Alphabets or anything remotely connected with Tamil.Let the people pronounce 'Natarajan' as 'Nadarajan' or 'Sahana' as 'Sagana'
My appeal is, while writing sanskrit atleast let us have a sustitute script to English or Devanagari as also to 2,3,4.
It is somewhat disheartening that contributers to this thread carry on acrimonious discussions on the side unrelated to the thread..The question I would like to ask is:-Is it not high time that Tamil Brahmins startedTamil Grantha scriptin their requirements for communication of ideas, discussions of literature or atleast as a cultural requirement.
If your answer is yes,would you be interested in experimenting with it for writing slokas etc with this script?
If yes again, please instal the e-Grantamil font. We will proceed further.
If your answer is no let us stop the discussion.
 
some grantha characters (sa, ha, sri, sha ...) are already in wide use and accepted by the unicode consortium despite efforts by karunanidhi, DK pulavrs and anti brahminists to exclude them from the tamil group of unicode fonts.

Vaishnavites from karnataka and andhra read divya prabandam written in kannada and telugu scripts. Devanagari script is widely used and they who learnt samskrit must be familiar with this script. Learning and writing in grantha may not attract many; but it is necessary that grantha script is learnt by some to recover and publish vast literature lying hidden in libraries and some homes. It is an easy job to convert unicode grantha to unicode samskrit or any other indian language.
 
It is good that ஷ, ஸ, ஹ, க்ஷ are added to Tamil font.

Otherwise, ஹரிஹரன் will be கரிகரன் and சரஸ்வதி will be சரசுவதி.

Already லக்ஷ்மி is இலட்சுமி / இலக்குமி and லக்ஷ்மணன் is இலக்குவன்.
During the anti Hindi agitation, my name was written as இராசேசுவரி in all my school certificates! :faint:

 
Already லக்ஷ்மி is இலட்சுமி / இலக்குமி and லக்ஷ்மணன் is இலக்குவன்.
Mrs. RR, in all of 4000 +/- songs Azhvars did use some Vadacchol, but they always Tamilized them, like இராமன், உருப்பிணி (ருக்மிணி). They never used ஹ ஸ க்ஷ etc.

Native Tamil words do not need these extra letters and Thisaicchol can be and are Tamilized without using these extra letters. Saying this will make the BS (Brahmin Supremacists) here get all riled up, but in an earlier era even Brahmins writing in Tamil did not see a need for these extra letters.

Just a thought ....
 
True Prof. Sir! But I did not like it when my name was written as இராசேசுவரி. It is NOT my name!

I feel, it seems to suggest that I am a follower of Yesu nAthar! Just my thought, Sir!
 
Tamillians seem to be unnecessarily defensive (ashamed??) about perceived deficiency in their script.
The script has proved to be adeqate to express most complex thoughts on devotion to the almighty.
However to express proper names it is woefully inadequate. While இராசேச்வரீ or ராஜேஸ்வரீ or even
RAJESWARI sound equally sweet, nobody should have the right to chage the way how another's name is Written.

As far as the பாசுரங்கள் are concerned, they are poetry and one is aware of poetic license. The Vaishnavite prose
in Manipravaalam is what one should consider. The script does not reflect any cultural roots like the mother tongue does.
The present day Tamil alphabets, Of missionary origin, have only a vague resemblance to the ones used during Grantha
days.Unless the Powers that be and the Tamil scholars realise, that their efforts to keep Tamil Script (not the Lanuage)
unadulterated, will stifle its growth in all fields. If not, the Tamil will be swamped, not by Samskritham which has contributed
to the growth of many langages, but by English.

How pathetic it is that we have to communicate in English about Tamil.!!!!!!
 
........... How pathetic it is that we have to communicate in English about Tamil.!!!!!!

You are 100% correct, Sir! Children whose mother tongue is Tamil, unless compelled in their schools, don't wish to

learn to write in their mother tongue. Most of the school / college going girls, who are my students in carnatic music,

wish to take the notation of the songs in English. Surprisingly, I am able to write faster in English... Practice makes

perfect?! In most of the forums too, Tamil is written as Thanglish, since many know only to speak in Tamil.
"Idhu eppadi irukku?" :faint:
 


গজাননং ভূতখণাদিসেৱিতং কপিত্তজংবু পলসারভক্ষিতং
উমাসুতং শোকৱিনাশকারণং নমামি ৱিগ্নেশ্ৱর পাদপংকজং
க்ரநதம்

I am sorry to mention that the above letters are not grantha lipi.I think you are little bit confused.I own vedha books and proyoga books in grantha lipi published prior to1930s.I can read fluently but I have not mastered it.
 
you are perfectly right. the script is Bengali, not Grantha. You need to Install the font "e-Grantamil" developed in University of Hamburg (Not In Tamil Nadu or in India!!). You see the BengaliScript because the Grantha letters have been coded with the unicode codepoints of Bengali, because there is no unicode for Grantha.Since you are a Grantha enthusiast you can download the font from INDOLIPI. If you would like to type in Grantha you can install the keyboard developed by them available there.

Best of Luck!!
 

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Govt. of india in july 2010 has sent a proposal to the unicode consortium re. inclusion of grantha script in unicode standard. Perhaps it is now included.

http://std.dkuug.dk/JTC1/SC2/WG2/docs/n4135.pdf

True.The original proposal by GOI included the Tamil letters 'e', 'o', the vowel signs for the two as also 'rra', llla and 'nnna'. However on objection from TN Govt. The modified proposal excluding these letters has been sent in July 2011.
Tamil Culture has been saved from aryan deceit.At this rate it wil never see the light of the day.
 
When I started this thread, I was convinced that, the revival of the proposal, dating back to the beginning of 20th Century, to adopt a combined Tamil-Grantha script for writing the Sanskrit slokas, mantras, subhashithani etc. would be enthusiastically welcomed in this forum. While there has been no outright rejection, many considered this unworkable. So I wil try to sell the idea more persuasively.

Grantham is the oldest script (5th Century AD) native to Tamilnadu, used extensively for recording Veda shakas, Darshanas, Royal edicts etc. It forms a part and parcel of our heritage.Unfortunately Tamil Brahmins have forsaken Grantham and accepted Devanagari for Sanskrit. This has alienated the other communities. They have been deprived of the opportunity to learn Sanskrit through their native script.Sanskrit has become ‘vadamozhi’ because of Devanagari. Written in Grantham Sanskrit would have been considered a part of Tamil Heritage instead of Aryan imposition.The main reason there is no virulent opposition to Sanskrit in our neighbouring states is because the can learn it through their script. Had our forefathers adoted Tamil script when it had evolved to its present form (15th Century) and added the missing letters of Grantham and used it for Sanskrit, things might have been be different.

Even amomg Tamil Brahmins,especially for many ladies, the ability to learn stotras by reading printed books have become an exercise in futility, unless one uses numbers (‘k2’ for ‘kh’,k3 for ‘g’ etc) and know what sounds they represent, or know Sanskrit or Hindi.Children learn stotras from parents and pronounce the words as learnt. Learning new slokas from books becomes impossibility through Tamil script.

Through the hybrid Tamil-Grantha script (thirty Tamil letters plus + four Grantha letters already used in Tamil + sixteen new Grantha letters), Stotras can be taught and read with correct pronunciation and metrics.Sanskrit can be taught through this script.

If at least ten people are willing to try this, then we can proced further collectively.
Please give your inputs.


Please install e-Gratamil font available at INDOLIPI
 
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