Thembavani

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Thembavani [1] (The Unfading Garland), one of the Tamil classics,a poetical work of Veeramamunivar (Constanzo Beschi),on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.This Tamil "Divina Comedia" is divided into thirty-six cantos, containing 3,615 stanzas. "It is," says Baumgartner, "the noblest epic poem in honor of St.Joseph written in any literature, East or West.

Beschi occupies a special place in Tamil literature, something that the fifth world Tamil Congress held at Madurai in January 1981 proudly acknowledged by erecting his statue in the city along with others who have made similar contributions. Beschi composed three Tamil grammars and three dictionaries, Tamil-Latin, Tamil-Portuguese and Tamil-Tamil. His magnum opus, the Thembavani is considered by experts to this day as one of the best Tamil works ever written[citation needed].

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