Eelattu Poothanthevanar was one of the earliest known classical Ceylon (present day Sri Lanka) Tamil poets from the Sangam period.
He hailed from the ancient international port of Manthai (Manthottam/ Manthoddam in Tamil, Manthota in derived Sinhalese) in Ceylon, the ruins of which are in present-day Mannar District, Sri Lanka.
[1] His poems were included in the Tamil language anthologies of the Sangam literature compiled in Tamilakam before 250 CE.
[2] Writing in the city of Madurai, he praises the valour of the contemporaneous King Pasum Poon Pandyan, who, as per the Narkudi Velalar Varalaru, reigned from 275 to 240 BCE.
[3] Other Sri Lankan Tamil poets whose contemporary work feature in the anthologies include Pūtan Ila Naganar and Marudan Ila Naganar.