August 17, 2020 by
Michael Twamley
Janani received the MITACS award for her project "Translation and Analysis of 'The Temple Gate'." Written by the beloved Sri Lankan Tamil writer R. Murukaiyan, "Kōpuravācal" or "The Temple Gate" adapts the story of the well-known Tamil Śaiva saint Nandanar into a drama. The play explores issues of caste inequality and religious expression in the modern times through Nandanar's eyes. Janani's project will offer the first English translation of the play that is of significance to the Tamil diasporic community in Canada and provide a scholarly analysis of the major themes explored and a comparison to other major tellings.