IN REMEMBRANCE OF BHARATHIAR AND TO INCULCATE IN OURSELVES HIS IDEALS

THE GREATEST BARD OF TAMIL BHARATHIAR

N.Nandhivarman

The 83 rd anniversary of Mahakavi Subramania Bharathiar falls on September 11 of 2004  The Bharathiar Memorial Museum was set up by the Government of Pondicherry in 1972. In 1984 it was converted into a research center to which from all over the world people have come. The Government of Pondicherry headed by then Chief Minister D.Ramachandiran had brought out a beautiful book in French in 1982, which contains translations of Bharathiar’s poems, prose and English articles. Such laudable exercises must be continued by successive governments to foster French and Tamil cultural exchanges by translating literatures belonging to both languages. But during his lifetime Bharathiar had struggled to bring out his works in print.

 

The ordeals of Poets in the colonial era to see their masterpieces in print could be easily understood by a letter through which Mahakavi Bharathiar sought financial support from his well wishers. In an open appeal written in 1921, the Great Bard of Tamil Renaissance states, “All of my manuscripts, accumulated labour of my 12 year exile have arrived here from Pondicherry. They are to be divided into 40 separate books. Most of my works which I have selected for publication are prose, stories, sensational at the same time classical, very easy, lucid, clear, luminous and all but too popular in style and diction and at the same time chaste, pure, correct, epic and time defying.” By this appeal the Poet not only exudes confidence in his creative literature and its contents but also is convinced that he is standing at the cross roads of critical times and is destined to play a crucial role. His words further down in the same appeal will be enough to portray the missionary zeal that burnt in him. “The historic necessity of my works for the uplift of the Tamil Land which again is a sheer necessity of the inevitable, imminent and heaven-ordained revival of the East”, says Mahakavi. These words  firmly reflects the inner feelings of the most enlightened Tamil mind of our times, which was destined to leave an everlasting impact on the Tamil society.

Stands Apart

The Poet’s vision was clear and he pursued his life’s mission with all his inherent strength, doing what was destined to be done. He wrote a satirical story “ The Fox with a Golden Tail”, which was published in 1914. It should also be mentioned that Aurobindo Ghosh lauded the flowery language of Bharathiar in that story. Dr.Nanjunda Rao of Chennai who was immensely pleased ordered for 500 copies and many letters of appreciation poured in from all quarters. Kuvalai Kannan read those letters to Bharathiar hoping he would be pleased. But Bharathiar stated as follows: “ Using my brain to its fullest capacity while I write in my mother tongue Panchali Sabadam, you alone read it, whereas if it is in English our men who are slaves to English colonial culture order for copies after copies”, the poet retorted with contempt records R.A.Padmanabhan in Chitra Bharathi, a compilations of pictures and historical notes on Bharathiar.

 Tamil Medium

 At that point of time when all men of letters under colonial rule were crazy over the proficiency in the tongue of the ruling classes, Bharathiar stands apart as a champion of the Tamil cause. In his book Essays and Other Prose Fragments published in 1937 writing under the title “ Vernaculars” Bharathiar extends support to the Tamil medium of instruction in the schools of Education.

Let me reproduce his views in verbatim:  “ I do not blame the Madras Council of Indian education for their anxiety to have Professor Geddes’ views on the subject of employing Indian languages as media of instruction in Indian schools. For I am aware those men’s thoughts are ordinarily moulded by their environments. Nor do I blame the good and learned Professor Geddes for his innocent comparison of the revival of Indian languages with the Gaelic revival in Wales and in Ireland. I do not know if Gaelic has any extensive and living literature. But I feel it is high time to remind all parties concerned, in the discussions like this, that most of the Indian languages have great, historic and living literatures. Of course their luster has been slightly dimmed by economic conditions during these later days. The English educated minority in this country can be pardoned for being frightfully ignorant of the higher phases of our national literatures, but they will well do to drop that annoying attitude of patronage and condescension when writing and talking about our languages. The Tamil language for instance has a living philosophical and poetical literature that is far grander, to my mind, than that of the vernacular of England. For the matter of that, I do not think that any modern vernacular of Europe can boast of works like Kural of Valluvar…” so goes on the Great Bard. This quality and courage of conviction is rare among the educated of his times and even today the ignorance of the educated towards the grandeur of the Tamil language and their wild goose chase of the foreign language continues unabated even after the wise counsel by Bharathiar.

The themes

His book Essays and Prose Fragments contains the following topics 1) To the being of the Universe 2) The Service of God 3) The Siddha and the Superman 4) Immortality 5) Fatalism 6) The Dawn 7) Rasa- The Keyword of Indian Culture 8) Blunting the Imagination 9) The Crime of Caste 10) The Place of Women 11) Women’s Freedom 12) Love and Marriage 13) Patriotism and Religious Differences 14) The National Congress 15) New Birth 16) Matri Puja 17) India and the World 18) In Memoriam 19) The Coming Age 20) Reflections 21) Some Political Maxims 22) Free Speech 23) India and war 24) Nammalvar 25) Andal 26) Rights and Duties 27) Vernaculars 28) The occult element in Tamil speech. The list of the essays will reveal the subjects that were near and dear to his heart.

Feminism

 Of particular mention is his voice for the cause of feminism. Speaking about the greatness of womanhood the Poet stands apart with no sign of male chauvinism, a characteristic flaw that causes even today gender bias and female infanticide. Let me quote him “ But if woman has always been the civiliser and, therefore, the spiritual superior of man, why did she get enslaved at all? For it is not only among Indians but also among the European and the Chinese and the Japanese and the Hottentots as, indeed all brutes and birds and insects, that the female has been content, till now, to occupy an enslaved, or if you please, a subordinate place to the male.” There cannot be a champion of the cause of feminism than Mahakavi Bharathiar in that point of time in the history of Tamils. A forerunner for the cause of feminism he had left his imprint by way of many articles and poems.

 Crusader against Caste

Bharathi describes caste as a crime against humanity and let us know his feelings well expressed in his own style “ You sometimes quote ethnology, eugenics, hydrostatics and what not, to support these four thousand castes! But, alas, the ignorant masses of our country have been made to believe that this caste chaos is a special divine gift to our country and whoever transgresses it has to go to Hell. It is this belief more than anything else that makes people insensible to the injurious results of caste. If you really have your justification in ethnology or hydrostatics, then you have been cheating people during all these centuries by telling them a different story. No science can justify cheating”. The scientific temper, which the poet possesses, is what anyone who cares for fellow beings will want to inculcate in a caste- ridden society. The Poets are conscience keepers of their culture and the society in which they hail, and in unmistaken terms Bharathiar registers his voice of protest against the caste-infected society.

 Spreading his message globally

 Bharathiar’s Tamil poems translated in many languages have established his greatness beyond an iota of doubt, at the same time very few attention is shown towards his writings in English, and it is high time his scholarly opinion on contemporary issues be understood. The Hindu in its sub-editorial dated 12 th September 1921 records the demise of this great poet thus: “ We regret to learn the death of Varakavi Subramanya Bharathi at his residence in Triplicane last night. The deceased was an ardent nationalist, a great thinker, a shining speaker and a powerful writer. He is the author of number of Tamil works including National songs. His recitation of the national songs infused genuine patriotism in the hearts of his listeners. He, like many other patriots of India, was an exile in Pondicherry for some years, because his patriotic speeches did not please the Gods in power. He has for some time past been ailing and by his premature death the country has lost a born poet and a sincere patriot. Swadesamithran too paid tributes in its editorial. But it is a sad fact that only handfuls were present when his body was cremated. Let us learn to respect great men when they are alive and be grateful for the great bards who uphold our culture universally.

Study of Temples turned into Fort reveals past...... N.Nandhivarman

MYTHOLOGICAL SCULPTURE IS SCIENCE FICTION OF THOSE DAYS

Temples in Tamilnadu were turned into forts and the fortification of such temples were found in water colour paintings of French Engineers in archives at Hague and Paris. Having found such maps of temples which were used as Forts, though no vestiges of military structures are found around their enclosures now, since most of them were dismantled by the British at the beginning of the nineteenth century, Jean De Loche, octogenarian scholar who lives in Pondicherry for more than 52 years and had number of books to his credit, had written a book Ancient Fortifications of the Tamil Country as recorded in Eighteenth Century French Plans..

Temples of South India are unique in the world for their sculptural art. Temples were not only home of the deities, they were centres of learning, socializing and schools of art, music and philosophy, in short a place everyone can gain knowledge in every field. 

In a  book titled  “Mysteries of the Dravidian Sculptural Art depicting the Hindu version of the Supreme, the birth, growth and death of the Sun, Stars, the human and standard of living “ its author P.S.Subramanyam , Palace Architect of Mysore hailing from Thanjavur says “ Our mythological sculpture is rooted in deep scientific thought  and mastery of the sublime cosmic truths. Cosmology, Cosmogony, Biology, the Stellar Universe, all about Earth and the Heavens , inter relation between man and planets, and stars, the place of man in divine scheme of things, his duties and aims in his voyage through existence , these and other kindred topics form the subject of our mythological sculptures.”

 We forget to undergo comparative study of our mythology and that of other civilizations and if we do, we can understand everywhere mankind is one in its quest to understand our living on earth and its meaning. Sculptures of our Temple failed to attract us because we forgot it was a planetarium of those days. The Death of the Sun and Stars depicted in our sculptures is proven by NASA findings now. Devotion to deity which offers solace to us and total neglect of other sculptures, stone carvings, inscriptions etc led to idol thefts which are hitting headlines nowadays. Temples were demolished when early invaders came into India.

During the rule of Muslim emperors (1310-1311) Srirangam was captured and the riches plundered .They took off the statue of Alagiyamanavalar Perumal. The statue of Alagiyamanavalar Perumal was sent to Delhi. In Delhi the daughter of the Sultan persuaded the Sultan to return the statue of Alagiyamanavalar Perumal back to Guru Ramanujar. She possesses a separate temple near Srirenganathar temple and people worship her as "Thulukka Nachiyar". This mythology is proof of stolen artefacts returned to original places of worship.  There is also a legend “ that the temple of Srirangam which was plundered by Muslim invaders of the 14 th century [ Malik Kafur in 1310-1311 and Ulugh Khan in 1323 ] and recaptured by Hindu Prince Kumara Kampanna in 1371 had its enclosures fortified after this Hindu restoration to prevent a new invasion “writes R.Orme in his History of the Military Transactions of the British Nation in Indostan.  

The Srirangam temple is enclosed by 7 concentric walls (termed prakarams (outer courtyard) or mathil suvar) with a total length of 32,592 feet or over six miles. These temple has 21 gopurams (towers), 39 pavilions, fifty shrines, Ayiram kaal mandapam (a hall of 1000 pillars) and several small water bodies inside. The space within the outer two prakarams (outer courtyard) is occupied by several shops, restaurants and flower stalls. Non-Hindus are allowed up to the second outer courtyard) but not inside the gold topped sanctum sanctorum.

Speaking about the temple enclosures Jean Deloche writes “ The temple enclosures were not meant to be defence works as specifically mentioned in technical treatises of Indian Architecture such as the Ajitagama and the Mayamata which note enclosure walls but do not bring the idea that they could be considered military structures to the fore. The outward wall is called mahamaryadabhitti wall of the great sacred boundary., the pyramidal tower over the entrance gate to the precinct of the temple is known as the gopura i.e protector, a word which might evoke a defence function but purely has symbolic value said P.S.Filliozat.”

“ The second half of the 18^th century , however the armies of the Muslim rulers and the British companies used these walls as fortifications, in spite of protests by the temple authorities.  The desecration of these temples is specifically mentioned in English and French sources which show the looting soldiers had become the objects of horror to the local population. When the temple for Achalpuram surrendered to the British in 1749 they forced an entry to the sanctuary  and the Hindus of Thanjavur army enraged at the pollution to which their shrine was exposed, attacked the English in the temple.”

“ At Kovipapakudi in April 1755 when the British seized the temple the soldiers were permitted to plunder and nothing as usual escaped them., for findings in the temple of the pagoda a great number of brazen images, worshipped by the people of the country,they tore them down from their pedestals, hoping to sell them at least for the metal weight be worth” wrote R.Orme in the History of Military Transactions of the British Nation in Indostan. Similar protest welcomed the French when they entered Chidambaram in 1750.

 In Srirangam however in 1751 when the English troops as well as those of the Nawab entered the temple they did not enter the sanctum sanctorum  . Rajputs in Chanda Sahib’s army and Hindu allies of the Europeans would not have permitted such sacrilegious act .  During Karnatic Wars both French and British kept their troops within the temples.  During Karnatic Wars temples were commonly used as forts.

Jean Deloche in his book mentions Kanchipuram,Vandavasi, Sethupattu, Karunguli, Tiruvannamalai, Arakantanallur, Valudavur Tirukoilur, Sankarapuram, Kallakurichi, Thiyaga Durgam, Elavasanoor Kottai, Ulagiyanallur, Chidambaram, Devikotta, Tirumalpatti, Mettupatti, Srirangam, Thanjavur and Madurai temples which were made into forts.  The first prakara was fortified for shielding the people from the attack of the enemy. There was also space to walk over the wall for defence purposes. 1,2,3 rd prakaras were used for defence purposes he says.

Forts and Temple Fortification after gun powder was introduced in battles had undergone changes. These modifications have come to light with books of Jean Deloche. But people who live in these places don’t have an inkling of what had happened to their temples. British had demolished these fortifications , but after so much plunder, modifications, the focus of Tamilnadu Government should be to form a team of epigraphists to study the stone inscriptions in temple walls. During periodical renovations , ignorant about epigraphy , masons have misplaced many in the wall. By cementing to join them, the last lines were covered. They should be re-arranged in original chronological order to bring to light past history hidden, distorted and buried beneath cement. Also all the surrounding walls of temples be freed of encroachments and while kumbabishegams performed , the inscriptions in those walls not be painted, but must be restored to its original format.

In our pious nature we were used to fix or eyes on the prime deities, present generation does not even know the mythology. We must dig in  our mythological past and mythological art to trace current proven scientific facts, such as the predicted death of sun forecast now even by scientists is chiselled in our sculptures...and scriptures...

COMPENDIUM ON THE CULTURE OF THE TAMILS : NANDHIVARMAN's ARTICLE... 1997

உலகத் தமிழர் பண்பாட்டுக் களஞ்சியம் :தமிழ்க் குயில் முனைவர் கே .கலியபெருமாள் [1997]

TRACING TAMIL ROOTS IN GLOBE.....................

ONENESS OF HUMANITY

TRACING TAMIL ROOTS IN GLOBE

Our Tamil literature is providing enough clues about the oneness of humanity and our being pioneers of civilization. But unless we prove with scientific facts, we can never establish our past and its glory acceptable to all on earth. There is a tendency for everyone on earth to claim supremacy over others, but we Tamils who preach and practice equality have first of all understand our past and to tell the rest of the world our unique role on earth. Towards this goal this research cum action plan aims to start highlighting our culture, civilization, sciences and literature to the world, not only through Tamil but in English and French , the two languages which catapulted into widespread usage during days of colonialism.

Wrote to the University of West Indies, sought West Indies Ambassador's help, a Visiting Professor recommended,but like our projects were put in cold storage here too it was sent to cold storage

N.Nandhivarman

DOCUMENTARY ON PERFORMING ARTS IN GUADELUOPE ...................... PROJECT DID NOT TAKE OFF

QUEST INTO THE CULTURAL ROOTS OF INDIAN DIASPORA .... A PROJECT NOT GREEN SIGNALLED

ENGINEER PA.VE.MANIKKA NAIKER..... ON TAMIL MYSTICAL ALPHABET

SANGAM CLASSICS IN FRENCH : PONDICHERRY GNANOU DIAGOU..... DESERVES GLOBAL ATTENTION

IN NEW INDIAN EXPRESS NANDHIVARMAN ON TAMIL AND WESTERN MUSIC

SACRED SYMBOLS FROM CONTINENT OF MU.....LEMURIA.... NOW ......