On 17th September 2004, Tamil was declared the first classical language in India. Tamil language is a member of the Dravidian language family that is spoken primarily in India. It is the official language of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry (Pondicherry). It is also an official language in Sri Lanka and Singapore.According to Hindu legend, Tamil or in personification form Tamil Thāi (Mother Tamil) was created by Lord Shiva and is one of the longest surviving classical languages in the world. Currently, six languages enjoy the ‘Classical’ status: Tamil (declared in 2004), Sanskrit (2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Odia (2014). Tamil was the first language to get the status of an official language of India on September 17, 2004.
