Saint Arunagirinathar
A commemorative postage stamp on the 600th Birth Anniversary of Sant Arunagirinaadhar, a Tamil saint-poet, creator of Thiruppugazh in praise of Lord Murugan :
Issued by India
Issued on Aug 14, 1975
Issued for : The Posts & Telegraphs Department deem it a privilege to issue a commemorative stamp in honour of this great saint.
Description of Design : The stamp design is horizontal and depicts a portrait of Saint Arunagirinathar.
Type : Stamp, Postal Used
Colour : Mauve
Denomination : 50 Paise
Overall Size : 3.34 X 2.88 cms.
Printing Size : 2.987 X 2.524 cms.
Perforation : 14 x 13½
Watermark : Printed on unwatermarked adhesive stamp paper
Number Printed : 20,00,000
Number per issue sheet : 42
Printing Process : Photogravure
Designed and Printed at : India Security Press
Name : Arunagirinathar
Born on 15th Century A.D. at Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India
About :
- Among the Tamil knowing people, Saint Arunagirinathar‘s name is greatly cherished, not only for the notable events in his life, but also for the excellence of his literary compositions, his profound knowledge and the eminence of his spiritual status. Even though no authentic records are available regarding the biography of the great Saint, traditions and the facts gleaned from his own writings point to the conclusion that he war born in Tamil Nadu six centuries ago.
- He lived a life of sin in his very early days but the divine spark that was ever present in him got the better of his base instinct, and Arunagirinathar eventually turned into a great devotee of Lord Muruga. His songs were born of divine inspiration and are collectively known as Tiruppugazh. Out of 16,000 songs believed to have been sung, about 1,300 are extant. The songs which are in Tamil are remarkable for their captivating rhythmic patterns and high philosophic content. The abstruse concepts of Advaita philosophy are conveyed in his songs in such simple terms that even a layman can comprehend the same. The synthesis of Bhakti and Gnana can be seen in all his compositions which are to this day sung by innumerable groups of devotees in homes, temples and congregations.
- In the galaxy of Saints of Bhakti cult, Saint Arunagirinathar occupies a place along with Tulsidas, Nanak, Tukaram, Meera and Chaitanya.
it is widely beleived that the saint was born in the tamil month of aani and on moolam natchathiram in the year 1387
Thank you for those information.