GNA NA PRA KASAR, SWAMINADAR (SWAMINATHAPILLAI). - Missionary, born in Manipay, apostolic vicariate of Jaffna, on 30 Aug. 1875, to Hindu parents, and died there on 22 Jan. 1947. After losing his father, he was baptized together with his mother. He first worked as a railwayman, then in 1895 entered the Seminary of Jaffna; in 1897 he became an Oblate of Mary Immaculate and in 1901 was ordained priest. In 1904 he began his mission among pagans at Nallur. Up to his death he succeeded in founding 37 stations and converting more than 3,000 Hindus.
Above all, however, Fr. G. distinguished himself as a writer. Even as a seminarian he had published small treatises and flysheets; as a young priest he founded the Catholic bookshop at Kayts. Besides many religious writings, he published: A History of the Catholic Church in Ceylon, I, Period of beginning 1502-1602 (Colombo 1926), and the history of the diocese of Jaffna under the episcopate of Msgr. Henry Joulain O.M.I., XXV Years Catholic Progress (Jaffna 1925). He also distinguished himself as a linguist with the publications: Studies in Tamil etymology and his Lexicon tumulto in 20 volumes, of which he himself was able to publish only 6.