New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to ‘Tamil Thatha’ U. Ve. Swaminatha Iyer is on his birth anniversary on Saturday.

The PM tweeted, “Remembering ‘Tamil Thatha’ U. Ve. Swaminatha Iyer is on his birth anniversary. Admired for his contribution to Tamil culture and language, he popularised works from the Sangam era and helped conserve precious heritage. Urging more youngsters to read his rich works.”

Uttamadhanapuram Venkatasubbaiyer Swaminatha Iyer was a Tamil scholar and researcher who played an instrumental in bringing many long-forgotten works of classical Tamil literature to light.

Swaminatha Iyer was born on February 19, 1855, and died on April 28, 1942.