Honouring Thanthai Periyar Through Sunlight: A Tribute Carved in Light Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy, widely revered as Periyar or Thanthai Periyar, was not just a social reformer—he was a revolution in himself. A fierce critic of caste-based discrimination, gender inequality, and blind faith, Periyar lit the torch of rationalism and self-respect in Tamil Nadu at a time when society was heavily shackled by orthodoxy and oppression. As the founder of the Self-Respect Movement and the Dravidar Kazhagam, his ideas shook the foundations of injustice and continue to shape the identity and pride of the Tamil people even today. He is rightly called the Father of the Dravidian Movement, and his legacy is etched in every voice that speaks for equality, justice, and rational thought. As an artist who works with the sun itself—creating images not with paint, but by burning light onto surfaces—I felt a deep, personal calling to honour Periyar in the way I know best: through Sunlight Art. T...