VELUDHARAN TEMPLES VISIT : Bharathiyar's birthplace /Mahakavi Bharathiyar / மகாகவி பாரதியார் பிறந்த வீடு, Ettaiyapuram, Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu.

Monday, 8 January 2024

Bharathiyar's birthplace /Mahakavi Bharathiyar / மகாகவி பாரதியார் பிறந்த வீடு, Ettaiyapuram, Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu.

The visit to Bharathiyar’s birthplace in Thoothukudi District was a part of “Temples, Heritage Sites and Archaeological Excavation Sites Visit around Thoothukudi”, between Dec 1^st and 2^nd December 2023.

C Subramaniya Bharathiyar was born at Ettayapuram in Thoothukudi District. The 188-year-old House was taken over by the Tamil Nadu Government. The house is on the Ground and first floor, built with bricks and plastered with lime mortar. The Ground floor consists of 4 rooms. The front open veranda is being used as an office, 2^nd Room, where Bhrathiyar’s statue is installed, Photos with details and his artifacts Kaithadi walking stick, A bent knife, and Krishna idol are in the 3^rd Room and a vel kambu and the Kitchen was converted as a Library. No major change was alteration was done except for flooring, water, and electricity.

When he was at Kashi, the North Indian’s headgear and walking stick made him wear throughout his life and Bharathiyar was conferred with the title of “Mundasu Kavingar”. He learned 12 languages (English, Sanskrit, French, German, Bengali, Latin, Urdu, Arabic, Telugu and Malayalam). Hence he praised Tamil as the sweetest language among the languages, known.

மகாகவியின் பிரார்த்தனை

Bharathiyar used to pray, the God, to give wisdom to old men, the strong will of Middle age, the briskness of Youngsters, and the heart of a child.

கிழவனுடைய அறிவு முதிர்ச்சியும்

நடுவயதுக்குள்ள மனத்திடனும்

இளைஞருடைய உத்ஸாகமும்

குழந்தையின் ஹ்ருதயமும்

தேவர்களே

எனக்கு எப்போதும்

நிலைத்திருக்கும்படி அருள்செய்க

Mahakavi Bharathy’s Life History in a nutshell…

In 1882 Dec 11^th Born to Chinnasamy Iyer and Lakshmi Ammal and named Subramanian.

In 1893, C Subramaniya was conferred with the title of Bharathy after seeing the Poems composed by him, by the Ettayapuram Samasthanam poets. (The ragas of poems are Chakravakam, Bilahari, Ananda Bairavi, Punnaka varaaLi, Nondi Sindhe, Bairavi, Ketharam- Kandajath, Chenchuruti, Nadhanamakiyai, Hindustani-Thodi, VaraaLi, Bhoopalam, Abhoki, Vandikaran paatu- Themmangu, Sriraakam, KamaaS, Saraswati Manohari, Naattai, Yathukula Kambhothi, Thanyasi, Piyak, Karakarapriya, Nattaikurichi, Sainthavi, Thandakam, Themmangu, and Konangi).

In 1897, married with Chellammal

1898 – 1902, Settled at Kashi, Passed in Sanskrit and Hindi languages at Allahabad University.

In 1904, joined as a Tamil Pandit at Sethupathi High School Madurai.

Relatives on the left and the Sethupathi School where he worked

In 1904, Nov, Joined as a sub-editor Swedesamithran, Madras.

In 1905, the Bengal partition took part in the Kasi Congress meeting. Met sister Nivedida Devi and discussed Women's liberation and Bharathiyar treated Nivedida Devi as his Guru.

In 1906, met V O Chidambaram, Invited Bipinchandrapal to Madras, and Joined as Editor of Balabharatha (English) Journal.

In 1907, went to Surat as a delegate to the Surat Congress Campaign, for Tilak’s extremist group in Congress.

In 1908, Celebrated Swaraj day, in Madras, Government repression on India Journal, and was Exiled to Pondicherry, when Lala Lajapathirai was exiled from our Country, Bharathiyar composed Poems in praise of him in a Chennai meeting.

In 1910, Joined in freedom movement activities with Arabindoghosh, V.V.S. Iyer at Pondicherry.

In 1918, 20^th November, Bharathiyar moved to British India from Pondicherry. He was arrested at Villiyanur and kept in Cuddalore prison for 30 days and released after Anniebesand’s efforts and others. Left to Kadayam and returned back to Ettayapuram.

In 1919, Came to Madras, Met Gandhi, and conveyed his blessings.

In 1921, Aug, At Parthasarathi Temple, Triplicane, fed an Elephant and the elephant threw him.

Balagangadhara Tilak - U Ve Sawaminatha Iyer - Nivedita Devi - Kannan, who carried Bharathiyar when the elephant threw him.

In 1921, Sep 12, Mahakavi Bharathi breathed his last, at the age of 39, without witnessing India’s freedom.

1947 – 49, Bharathiyar’s works are nationalized by Omandur Ramasamy Reddiar, then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

Omandur Ramaswamy Reddiar, then chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Nationalised Bharathi's works - The right side is the statement of Mr Karunanidhi, see the statement, whether the statement is justifiable for a freedom fighter and a great poet, who sacrificed the entire life for the freedom of India.

In 1973, Bharathiyar’s house was nationalized by the Tamil Nadu Government.

In 1982, His life-size statue was installed at Kolkatta.

In 1985, Bharathiyar University was established at Coimbatore.

In 1987, His full-size statue was installed at New Delhi by the PM Rajiv Gandhi, in the presence of Late, R Venkatraman, The president of India, and Late Dr M G Ramachandran, then the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

In 1993, the house lived in Chennai was taken over by Tamil Nadu Government.

The biography of Bharathiyar was written by his wife Chellamma and the front page reads as...

பாரதியார் சரித்திரம்

“ஷேக்ஸ்பியர், கம்பன், வர்கிலியன், காளிதாசன் எல்லாரும் கவிமன்னர்களே. எனினும் கலையுலகை அவர்கள் சிறபித்தனர். ஆனால் பாரதியாரின் கவியோ புதிய தமிழ் சகாப்ததை, புதிய ஜாதியை, புதிய நாட்டை அமைத்ததி. தமிழில் புது மறைகள் பாடியது. பாரதியார் மறைந்து போகவில்லை. இதோ நம்முன் நம்முள் நம்முயிரில் நெஞ்சை அள்ளிக் கலந்தவாறு விளங்குகிறார். தமிழர் உள்ளத்தில் ஆவேச வெள்ளமாகப் பொங்கும் இந்த அமரக் கவியின் வரலாற்றை உள்ளவாறு அனைவரும் அறியும் வண்ணம் ஆக்கியளித்துள்ளார் அன்னார் மனைவியார்”.