code: def splitMeiUyir(uyirmei_char):
      
  
      if not isinstance(uyirmei_char, PYTHON3 and str or unicode):
          raise ValueError("Passed input letter '%s' must be unicode, \
                                  not just string" % uyirmei_char)
  
      if uyirmei_char in mei_letters or uyirmei_char in uyir_letters or uyirmei_char in ayudha_letter:
          return uyirmei_char
  
      if uyirmei_char not in grantha_uyirmei_letters:
          if not is_normalized( uyirmei_char ):
              norm_char = unicode_normalize(uyirmei_char)
              rval = splitMeiUyir( norm_char )
              return rval
          raise ValueError("Passed input letter '%s' is not tamil letter" % uyirmei_char)
  
      idx = grantha_uyirmei_letters.index(uyirmei_char)
      uyiridx = idx % 12
      meiidx = int((idx - uyiridx)/ 12)
      return (grantha_mei_letters[meiidx], uyir_letters[uyiridx])
docs: This function split uyirmei compound character into mei + uyir characters
      and returns in tuple.
  
      Input : It must be unicode tamil char.
  
      Written By : Arulalan.T
      Date : 22.09.2014