Tamil (தமிழ்):

My mother tongue is Tamil..an ancient language.

 

"கல் தோன்றி, மண்தோன்றா காலத்து, .....முன் தோன்றிய மூத்த குடி"

As evidenced by Excavations in Keezhadi, Aadhichanallur...and etc.

The southern state of Tamil Nadu has recently declared Tamil Yeoman (Cirrochroa thais) as its state butterfly to symbolise its rich natural and cultural heritage, in a move aimed at boosting the conservation efforts of the attractive insects.

Locally known as Tamil Maravan meaning ‘Tamilian Warrior’, the canopy butterfly, usually sized between 60 and 75mm, belongs to the family of brush-footed butterflies or the Nymphalid.

This is the latest addition to Tamil Nadu’s existing symbols from the natural world – palmyra as the state tree, gloriosa lily as the state flower, emerald dove as the state bird, jackfruit as the state fruit and Nilgiri tahr as the state animal.