Erode Venkata Ramasamy, affectionately called by his followers as Periyar.Thanthai Periyar or E. V. R., was a businessman, politician, Indian independence and social activist, who started the Self-Respect Movement or the Dravidian Movement .Thanthai Periyar proposed the creation of an independent state called Dravidasthan comprising South India.The Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve is one of the most captivating wildlife parks in the world.