Tamil Thai Valthu (Tamil Nadu)

"Tamil Thai Valthu" (Tamil: Tamiḻttāy Vāḻttu, lit. 'Invocation to Tamil Mother'; Tamil pronunciation: [t̪ʌmɪ˞ɻt̪ːɑːɪ̯ ʋɑ˞ːɻt̪ːɨ]) is the state song of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The original song was written by Manonmaniam Sundaram Pillai (1855-1897), as an invocation to Tamil Thai (Tamil Mother) in the prelude to the play Manonmaniam in 1891. A rendition of the song was later composed by M. S. Viswanathan, and sung by T. M. Soundarajan and P. Susheela.

On 11 March 1970, based on a request from the Karanthai Tamil Sangam, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M. Karunanidhi announced that verses of the song would be recited as Tamil Thai Valthu at the beginning of state government functions. The official order for the same was issued later on 23 November 1970. On 17 December 2021, the Government of Tamil Nadu formally declared it as the official state song, and mandated that every able person should stand when it is played or being sung.