Ondiveeran

Ondiveeran Pagadai (or Ondi Veeran) (ஒண்டிவீரன்) (died 20 Aug 1771) was an Indian freedom fighter and commander in the army of Puli Thevan in battles against the British in Tamil Nadu. Ondiveeran came from the Arunthathiyar Scheduled Caste (Dalit) and today is viewed as a hero by that community; pressure from that community lead the government to build a memorial to him in Tirunelveli district.

Memorial
In the mid-2000s, the Dailt community in Tamil Nadu petitioned the government to establish a memorial to Ondiveeran, including public protests. The foundation stone for the memorial (which cost the government 49 lakh rupees) was laid in 2011 by Minister for Information and Public Relations Parithi Ilamvazhuthi.