TAMIL
Snapshot on Bharati's life
PREMA NANDAKUMAR
CHITTIRA BHARATI: R.A. Padmanabhan; Kaalachuvadu Pathippagam, 669, K. P. Road, Nagercoil-629001.
Rs. 325.
TWENTY RUPEES in 1957 brought us a rare gift, Chittira Bharati, from the earnest compiler, R.A. Padmanabhan. Bharatiana was still in its nonage then and one thirsted for reliable material on the great poet's life.
The sheaf of photographs in the volume was thus most welcome as it was also a visual treat. So this was the house where Bharati was born in Ettayapuram! Ha, this is Bharati's first Tamil poem published in Vivekabhanu in 1904! Look at Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa portrayed as the "Kamadhenu of Truth' in Bharati's India magazine! Bharati's guru darshan of Sister Nivedita. The encounter with V.Krishnaswami Iyer leading to the publication of Swadesa Gitangal. The fiery nationalism of Subramania Bharati as a writer and as a householder. The Pondicherry days. The days of intense poverty and superb creativity. Conjuring personalities like Neelakantha Brahmachari, Nagasami, Madasami and R. Kanakalingam. The grove where Kuyil Pattu was written. The Dattatreya idol and sword worshipped by Bharati. Nowhere a lacklustre page!
The 1982 Bharati Centenary Edition of Chittira Bharati was considerably enlarged with additional photographs and at Rs. 60 was still a wonderful gift. The present edition has a wider format of pages (demy quarto) and an enviable clarity in printing. The ancient photographs leap to life. Padmanabhan's linkage of the photos with appropriate explanations is vital to the compilation.
Always brief, yet packing every nugget with precious Bharati lore, he tells us of Ettayapuram where the poet was born, the places with which he was associated as a student and political activist, the various magazines he edited, the generous friends who helped him throughout his life (including the servant maid Ammakannu) and Bharati scholars.
Facsimiles of Bharati's handwritten manuscripts are, of course, among the most inspiring in this volume. And the perfect choice of Bharati's portrait on the cover. Eyes that seem to look into the beyond as the poet poses for the young members of Hindu Madhabhimana Sangam, Karaikudi in 1920. Almost 90 years are gone, yet this photo rivets our attention, for such was the fire that glowed in Bharati. Hence, Chittira Bharati is no coffee-table stuff for the smart drawing room but a perfect gift for motivating the younger generation to become the achievers of tomorrow.
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