Name change of Tamirabarani to Porunai: HC seeks state govt reply

TIRUCHY: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court asked the state government to respond to the court within 12 weeks about the change in the name of Tamirabarani river into Porunai river. Gandhinathan, a resident from Thoothukudi filed a PIL with the Madurai bench of Madras High court seeking the court to change the name of Tamirabarani, a Sanskrit word into pure Tamil word Porunai river. He quoted that the Tamirabarani has been quoted as Porunai in several Tamil epics, including Thiruvilayadal puranam, Mukkodarpallu, Periya Puranam and Mangala Nigandu. This has been confirmed by several scholars and in the inscriptions of Rajendra Chola I in 1011, he said. He also told the court that the Tamil Nadu government had changed Srivilliputhur into Thiruvilliputhur and Sri Vaikundam into Thiruvaikundam. In the same way, the Tamirabarani can be changed into the Tamil name of Porunai river. A division bench composed of Justice Mahadevan and Justice J Sathya Narayana Prasad, which heard the plea, asked the Tamil Nadu government to respond to it within 12 weeks.