Webpages of 20th Century Tamil Authors and Their Works ©K. Kalyanasundaram

C. Subramania Bharathi

Life History
and
Literary Contributions

PERSONAL:

Born :11 Dec 1882 in Ettayapuram, Tirunelveli Dt, in Saiva Brahmin family

Parents: Chinnasami Aiyar and Lakshmi Ammal (mother died in 1889)

Personal name: Chinnasami Subramania Aiyar. The title "Bharathi" (tamil bharathi = goddess saraswathi ) conferred to him in 1893 in the Sabha of court-poets in recognition of his poetic talent - later it became his pen-name

1894-1897: studied in Hindu college, Trinelveli

15 June 897 married Chellamma, aged 7; 1898 father dies

1898-1902 stay at Benares with his aunt, learns Sanskrit, Hindi etc, entrance exam to Allahabad Univ

1902-1904 - court poet at Ettayapuram; Aug-Nov 1904 tamil teacher at Sethupathi High school, Madurai; Nov 1904 on the staff of CudEcamiththiran, well known tamil daily of Madras;

1905 active political life starts; 1906 contact with Chithambaram Pillai, on the staff of radical daily Inthia; Attends Congress session in Calcutta, meets sister Nivedita

1907 Editor of Inthiya and Bala Bharatha; meets Tilak, Aurobindo Ghosh, Lajpath Ray,...

Composes patriotic songs publishes his first book "SvathEca keethangkaL" in 1908
1908 Inthiya newspaper comes under govt surveilance, takes refuge in POndicherry

1909 2nd volume of poetry -janmmpUmi

1908-1910 Inthiya paper published from POndicherry; 1910 Aurobindo and VVS Aiyar come to Pondicheery

1912-1918 stays in Pondi to avoid arrest by the british, writes political and other essays,...; composes poetry - Kannan pAttu, kuyil pAttu, pAncAli capatham,.... 1917 first editionof KannanpAttu released

nov. 1918 returns to India, got arrested and released after 34 days

1918-19 levaes for kilkattiyam and ettayapuram, lives in poverty; 1919 goes to Madras meets Gandhi in Rajaji's house; 1920 joins CuthEcamiththrin in Triplicane

12.9.1921 dies at the age of 39

Literary Works

The following collections published by Bharathi piracuralayam, Triplicane, 1949 contains

shorter pieces thEciya keethangal - 57 poems
thoththirap pAdalkal - devotional songs, 66 pieces
vinayakar nanmanimaalai, kannanpattu -23 pieces
pirapadalkal - 30 pieces
autobiography in verse form:
svacarithai (49 st.), bharathi arupathu (66 st), cinnacankaran kathai
short collections
puthiya aaththiccudi, paappapattu (1914, 16 quatrains)
pancali capatham - narrative poem in 1548 lines
prose - gnana ratham, 1910
short narrative pieces
aaril oru pangku,1911-12

References:

Translations

Webpages of Bharathiyar Songs

Devotional and Patriotic Songs in tamil script (mylai font based)

Feel free to send additions and corrections to the Webmaster of this pageDr.K. Kalyanasundaram
This file was last updated on March 4, 99

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C. Subramania Bharathi Life Historyand Literary Contributions

PERSONAL:

Literary Works

C. Subramania Bharathi

Life History
and
Literary Contributions