Bharathidasan

In thisIndian name,the nameKanagasabaiis apatronymic,and the person should be referred to by thegiven name,Subburathinam.

Bharathidasan
Born	K. Subburathinam 29 April 1891 Pondicherry,French India (nowPuducherry,India)
Died	21 April 1964(1964-04-21)(aged 72) Madras,Madras State (nowChennai,Tamil Nadu),India
Occupation	Teacher,Tamil poet,Tamil activist
Period	Pure Tamil movement
Spouse	Pazhani Ammal
Children	Saraswathi Kannappan (Daughter) Mannarmannan (Son) Vasantha Dhandapani (Daughter) Ramani Sivasubramaniyan (Daughter)
Parents	Father: Kanagasabai Mother: Lakshmi
Signature

Bharathidasan(IPA:/ˈbɑːˌrʌðiˈðɑːˌsʌn/;bornK. Subburathinam29 April 1891 – 21 April 1964), was a 20th-centuryTamilpoet andrationalistwriter whose literary works handled mostly socio-political issues. He was deeply influenced by the Tamil poetSubramania Bharathiand named himself "Bharathi dasan" meaning follower or adherent of Bharathi.His greatest influence wasPeriyarand hisself-respect movement.Bharathidasan's writingsserved as a catalyst for the growth of theSelf-Respect MovementinTamil Nadu.In addition to poetry, his views found expression in other forms such as plays, film scripts, short stories and essays. The Government ofPuducherryunion territory has adopted the song of Invocation to Mother Tamil, written by Bharathidasan as the state song of Puducherry (Tamil Thai Valthu (Puducherry)).

Life

Kanaka Subburathinam was borninPuducherry(earlier called Pondicherry) on 29 April 1891 to parents Kanagasabai and Lakshmi Ammal. He was deeply influenced by the Tamil poet and freedom fighter,Subramania Bharathi,who mentored him and hence Subburathinam named himself "Bharathi dasan" meaning follower or adherent of Bharathi. He is popularly known asBharathidasan(Tamil:பாரதிதாசன்). A twentieth century Tamil poet, Bharathidasan was an active participant in theIndian independence movement,he opposed both theBritish Rajand the French colonial government.He was imprisonedfor voicing his views against the French Government that was ruling Pondicherry at that time. Bharathidasan was a poet in his own right, writing mostly on socio-political issues like women’s liberation, rationalism, and against caste discrimination. He was greatly influenced by the great rationalist leader and social reformer,Periyar E. V. Ramaswami.Bharathidasan became one of the key figures in theDravidian rationalist movement.He was bestowed the titles ‘puratchi kavinjar’ (revolutionary poet) and 'paa vendhar' (king of poetry) to honor his excellence in Tamil poetry and he was widely known by his titles. Bharathidasan works were nationalized meaning brought into public domainin 1991 by the then Chief Minister of Tamil NaduM. Karunanidhi.Bharathidasan's works can be found at the open access Tamil literature repositoryProject Madurai.

He remained a prolificwriter and poet till he died on 21 April 1964,a week before his 73rd birthday. He was awarded theSahitya Academy Awardposthumously for his Tamil playPisiraandhaiyaar.One among his famous lines is ‘அறிவை விரிவு செய், அகண்டமாக்கு’, ‘Arivai virivu sei, agandamakku’ meaning “Expand knowledge – make it universal”. Named after this great poet, it has beenBharathidasan institute of management'sendeavour to expand and universalize knowledge.

Named after the revolutionary poet Bharathidasan, theBharathidasan Universitywas set up in 1982 as an offshoot of theUniversity of Madras.The motto of the University “We will create a brave new world” has been framed from Bharathidasan’s poetic words “புதியதோர் உலகம் செய்வோம்”. The University endeavours to be true to such a vision by creating in the region a brave new world of academic innovation for social change.

List of poems made into film lyrics

• Thamizhukum Amudenru per
• Sanke Muzhangu
• "Thunbam Nergayil" (set inDeshby Carnatic musicianDandapani Desikarand used by film composerR. SudarsanaminOr Iravuin 1951)
• Thesa gnanam
• Neelavana aadaikul
• Valiyor silar
• Muzhumai Nila
• Chithirai
• Pallikudam
• Kalyanam aagatha penae
• Kaatrilellam
• Kandavudal kadal
• Vaanukku nilavu
• Paazhai pona manam
• Vaana mazhai neeye
• Avalum Naanum Amudhum Thamizhum

Awards and recognitions

Bharathidasan on a 2001 stamp of India

• Bharathidasan won the Golden Parrot Prize in 1946 for his play Amaithi-Oomai (Peace and Dumbness).

• He was given theSahitya Academy Award,posthumously in 1970 for his play Pisiranthaiyar.

• On 9 October 2001, a commemorative stamp of Bharathidasan was released by the Postal Department in Chennai.
• He was conferred with the title of "Puratchi Kavingyar" (meaning the "Revolutionary Poet" ) by Periyar.

Legacy

• Tamil Nadu's state government gives the Bharathidasan Award annually to a Tamil poet.
• The Government ofPuducherryunion territory has adopted Bharathidasan's song of Invocation to Mother Tamil as the state song of Puducherry.
• A state university namedBharathidasan Universitywas established inTiruchirappalli.
• Bharathidasan institute of management,one of India's top B-schools, was established inTiruchirappalli.

External links

• Tamil Wikisource- works by Bharathidasanபாரதிதாசன்
• Works by Bharathidasan (Tamil:பாரதிதாசன்) at the open access Tamil Literature repository:Project Madurai
• Media related toBharathidasanat Wikimedia Commons