Centenary death anniversary of Subramania Bharati

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Last Updated12/09/2021

September 11 marked the death anniversary of India’s firebrand poet and a revolutionary thinker from Tamil Nadu, Subramania Bharati.
In a relatively short life span of 39 years, Bharati left an indelible mark in India’s history as not only a Tamil poet but also as a national icon.
Prime Minister announced the setting up of the Subramania Bharati Chair of Tamil studies at BHU, Kashi on the occasion.

Son of Chinnasamy Iyer and Lakshmi Ammal, Subramania Bharati was born on December 11, 1882, in Ettayapuram, South India.
He lost his father when he was only 16.
Bharati found his mentor and inspiration in Bal Gangadhar.
He exhibited a knack for writing poetry at a very young age. He started composing poems at the age of 8.
He was the unofficial editor at India Weekly according to the book Subramania Bharati: A unique biography by VaRa translated in English by Amshan Kumar.

Also referred to by the name of Mahakavi Bharathiyar, meaning Great Poet of Tamil, Bharati’s name is counted amongst the most celebrated poets of the country.
He was an expert at both prose and poetry writing.
Subramania Bharati mostly indulged in secular, political, and spiritual writings.
He was also the first Asian poet to sing the glory of the Bolshevik revolution.
His poems not only are an ode to nature but contain a child-like innocence.
His first poem, a sonnet was published in 1904. His collection of work has been published in 16 volumes.

Subramania Bharati had to flee to Puducherry (a french colony then) in 1908 to avoid arrest by the British government.
It was here that he produced his masterworks Kuyil, Kannan Pattu, and Panchali Sabatham.
He worked as the assistant editor in Swadesamitran newspaper in 1920.

Government of India in 1987 instituted the highest National Subramania Bharati Award conferred along with the Ministry of Human Resource Development (now Education), annually conferred on writers of outstanding works in Hindi literature.
Bharathiar University, a state university has been named after the poet in Coimbatore.
Subramania Bharati’s commemorative stamp was also issued by the Indian Post in his respect.