P. Coomaraswamy

Mudaliyar P. Coomaraswamy MLC MMC
Unofficial Member (Tamil), Legislative Council of Ceylon
In office 1892–1898
Preceded by	P. Ramanathan
Succeeded by	W. G. Rockwood
Member of Colombo Municipal Council
In office 1873–1879
In office 1885–1889
Personal details
Born	(1849-12-07)7 December 1849
Died	7 June 1906(1906-06-07) (aged 56) Colombo, Ceylon
Alma mater	Presidency College, Madras
Profession	Lawyer
Ethnicity	Ceylon Tamil

Ponnambalam Coomaraswamy (7 December 1849 – 7 June 1906) was a Ceylon Tamil lawyer and member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon.

Early life and family

See also: Ponnambalam-Coomaraswamy family

Coomaraswamy was born on 7 December 1849.^[1][2] He was the son of Gate Mudaliyar A. Ponnambalam.^[1] He was the brother of P. Ramanathan and P. Arunchalam.^[1]

Coomaraswamy was educated at Colombo Academy, Colombo and Presidency College, Madras.^[1]

Career

Coomaraswamy joined the legal profession after finishing his education.^[1]

Coomaraswamy was a member of Colombo Municipal Council from January 1873 to October 1879 and from November 1885 to December 1889.^[3] He was appointed to the Legislative Council of Ceylon in 1893 as the unofficial member representing Tamils, replacing his brother Ramanathan.^[1][4]

Coomaraswamy was a Tamil scholar and a publisher of Tamil literature.^[1] He was president of Jaffna Saiva Paripalana Sabai and helped establish Jaffna Hindu College.^[1] He also established a Hindu temple on Slave Island.^[1]

Coomaraswamy died on 7 June 1906 in Colombo.^[5]

P. COOMARA SWAMY had the honor of welcoming Swami Vivekananda and delivering the welcome address on 15 January 1897, after the latter's return from the West. This lecture can be seen in Swami Vivekananda's Lectures from Colombo to Almora. ^[6]

References

1. Arumugam, S. (1997). Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon. p. 43.
2. Martyn, John H. (1923). Notes on Jaffna – Chronological, Historical, Biographical. Tellippalai: American Ceylon Mission Press. pp. 283–284. ISBN 81-206-1670-7.
3. Hulugalle, H. A. J. (September 1965). Centenary Volume of the Colombo Municipal Council (1865 - 1965). Colombo Municipal Council . p. 55.
4. Gooneratne, Brendon (31 January 2009). "Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam: True nationalist and patriot of Ceylon". Daily News (Sri Lanka).
5. Martyn, John H. (1923). Notes on Jaffna – Chronological, Historical, Biographical. Tellippalai: American Ceylon Mission Press. p. 82. ISBN 81-206-1670-7.
6. Vivekananda, Swami (1897). Lectures from Colombo to Almora. Vedanta Press, Belur Math.