Postal Dept to honour German Missionary on Dec 10

Chennai, Dec 9 (UNI) The Postal Department would honour Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg, a German Missionary and Scholar, by releasing his commemorative stamp here on December 10.

Union Communication and Information Technology Minister Dayanidhi Maran would release the stamp in the Rs five denomination to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the scholar's arrival in India.

Ziegenbalg arrived in Tranquebar on July nine, 1706 with the purpose of introducing German Lutheran pletism to the people who were following various Bhakti cults. He initiated a new way of learning Tamil language and translated the New Testament into Tamil.

He translated most of the Tamil grammatical prose into Latin and composed the first 'Grammatical Dumalica', which was published in 1716 in Germany.

Ziegenbalg also introduced a Tamil printing press and was, in a way involved in bringing social changes in contemporary Tamil Nadu and was instrumental in establishing the first school for girls in 1710. He marked the beginning of an interesting chapter in Indo-German relationship.

UNI WS GKT AD PM0512