C. Ganesha Iyer

Vidhva Shiromani Brahma Sri C. Ganesha Iyer (1 April 1878 – 8 November 1958) was a Ceylonese Tamil philologist from Jaffna. Iyer was the fifth son of Chinnaiyar and Chinnammal, born in the agricultural village of Punnalaikkadduvan, 12 kilometers north of Jaffna city. His family consisted of learned and teachers. Iyer had his primary education (up to 8th standard) in a Saiva school started by Kathirgama iyer in the courtyard of Siththi Vinayagar Temple and was a Teacher at the same school later on. This school was taken over by the Govt. and is in the opposite side of Aayakkadavai Sithivinayagar Temple. He ranked first in Tamil grammar, literature, history, religion and mathematics. The private tuition he received at home from his uncle, Kathirgama Iyer, enabled him to achieve the first rank in school. After the death of Ponnambala Pillai, Ganesha Iyer was a student under Chunnakam Kumaraswamy Pulavar for some time. He learned Tamil Grammar and Sanskrit from the Pulavar. Ganesha Iyer grew up a scholar by referring his doubts to Kumarasamy Pulavar and getting clarifications from him.