Mahakavi Subramania Bharati

News: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi paid tribute to Mahakavi Subramania Bharati on his birth anniversary and highlighted his lasting influence.

About Mahakavi Subramania Bharati

• Birth: He was born on 11 December 1882 in Ettayapuram in Tirunelveli District in Tamil Nadu.
• His childhood name was Subbiah.
• His father was Chinnaswamy Iyer and his mother was Lakshmi Ammal.
• Guru:  He considered Sister Nivedita, a disciple of Swami Vivekananda, as his guru.
• Literary contributions
  • Pioneer of modern Tamil poetry: He is regarded as the “father of the modern Tamil style,” using simple words and rhythms accessible to the common people, a departure from the complex vocabulary of earlier works.
  • Title “Mahakavi”: He was given the title “Mahakavi” (Great Poet) by the Raja of Ettayapuram for his literary genius.
• Major Works: His notable poetic works include:
  • Kannan Pattu (Songs to Krishna)
  • Panchali Sapatham (Panchali’s Vow)
  • Kuyil Pattu (Kuyil’s Song)
  • Other Works: He published the sensational “Sudesa Geethangal” in 1908. He translated Vedic hymns, the Bhagavad Gita, and Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra into Tamil.
• Contributions as a nationalist
  • He participated in Benaras Session (1905) and Surat Session (1907) of Indian National Congress.
  • He discussed national issues with extremist leaders like Bipin Chandra Pal, B.G. Tilak and V.V.S. Iyer.
• Life in Exile
  • The British issued an arrest warrant for Bharathi in 1908, forcing him to live in exile in French-controlled Pondicherry for about ten years.
  • He continued his nationalist activities there with Sri Aurobindo, Lajpat Rai and V.V.S. Aiyar.
  • His songs inspired people to join the Indian independence struggle, and he guided Tamil youth from Pondicherry during his exile.
  • He met Mahatma Gandhi in 1919 in Rajaji’s home at Madras.
• As a Journalist: He worked as a journalist with many newspapers, including Swadesamitran, The Hindu, Bala Bharata, Vijaya, Chakravarthini and India.
• As a Social Reformer
  • He opposed caste divisions and supported women’s rights, gender equality, widow remarriage and temple entry for Dalits.
  • He believed unity was essential for India’s freedom.
• Death: Bharati died on 11 September 1921 in Madras.
• Legacy
  • Nationalization of Works: In 1949, he became the first poet whose works were nationalized by the state government (of Madras).
  • The International Bharati Festival 2020 was organised by the Vanavil Cultural Centre (Tamil Nadu) which marked his 138th birth anniversary.
  • Scholar Shri Seeni Viswanathan received the Bharathi Award for the year 2020.