C. W. Thamotharampillai

Indian advocate and high court judge

Cirupitty Wyravanathar Thamotharampillai (Pillai) (; 12 September 1832 – 1 January 1901)), sometimes referred to by the initials as C. Y., devoted his energies to the work of editing and publishing some of the oldest works of classical Tamil poetry and grammar. According to Kamil Zvelebil, he was the first person to be "engaged in the rediscovery of the earliest classical literature" of Tamil, and that his "greatness and merits have never been acknowledged".

Cirupitty Wyravanathar Thamotharampillai was born to Vairavanathapillai and Perundevi in Siruppiddy in British Ceylon. He chose to learn Tamil grammar and English at an early age. He studied science at the renowned Vaddukottai Seminary in Jaffna at the age of twelve. After that, In 1852 he worked sometime as a teacher in a School at Kopay, Ayalur. His son Alakasundaram is also a Tamil scholar.

After finishing his college education in 1852 at Batticotta Seminary, Thamotharampillai taught for some years under the mission and then proceeded to Madras to head a mission run daily. There he converted to Saivism,

In 1853, he came to Chennai to become editor of the Tamil Nadu Daily Gazette run by Rev. Peter Percival, owner of the Wesleyan English School in Jaffna. He also worked as a Tamil Pandit in the Rajasthani College.

In 1853 he published a Tamil book on ethics entitled 'Needhi Neri Vilakkam', which not only sparked his interest in the field of book publishing, but also earned him the title of 'pioneer of Tamil publishing'.

He continued to study law, and in 1871 received the 'B. L.'. After passing the examination, he worked as a lawyer in Kumbakonam and in 1884 he was appointed as a Judge of the Pudukottai High Court. In 1895, after his retirement of about six years, the government conferred the title of 'Rao Bahadur' on Damodaram Pillai.

Thamotharampillai's History, D. A. Rajaratnam Pillai, Published by: n. Munisami Mudaliar, 'Ananda Bodhini', Madras, 1934