Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

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arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

Chakravartini
---------------

Within a year of joining SvadEsa Mithran, Bharathi blossomed into an ace journalist. Remarkable changes came about in his thinking. From being merely an Asu kavi (impromptu verse maker) and a poet in the traditional sense, he started writing prose and poetry in simple but charged words which made a powerful impression on the reader. His translations bore a stamp of his ability to bring what was written in english into thamizh without losing any impact of the original.
Above all, he developed a keen interest for what was happening around the world. There was a dramatic awakening of patriotic fervor in him.

At the journal, Bharathi was an object of admiration. That was how the twenty three year old young journalist who had been with the newspaper just for a year was chosen to be the editor of a new magazine which SvadEsa Mithran launched. It was a monthly for women called Chakravartini (the thamizh name for an empress--basing it on the name of the british magazine, Queen--honoring Queen Alexandra, the wife of Edward VII. Chakravartini even had a sketch of her portrait on the cover.

At the very beginning of the twentieth century, Bharathi was writing in the magazine about freedom for women, love (kAdal), the place of women in buddhism, Rajaram Mohan Rai and on various such topics.

He had wondered in an article: Can man be free if woman be a slave? (he must have written this line in english in the text because it is translated into thamizh!).

The magazine contained articles on the lives of great men (and women?), how women of yore were independent thinkers in India, how in the west women are now well respected...

In an issue, Bharathi wonders aloud and ridicules himself: in the name of a magazine for women, are we catering mostly to its male readers? We need to write in a style they can easily understand. That's what we need to do.

In that very month of May in 1905, an unexpected turn of events meant that Bharathi had to resign his job at SvadEsa Mithran. He joined a band of young men to start a new weekly in order to light the fire of patriotism among the youth, to awaken a love in them for their mother country.

Still, Bharathi continued as the editor of Chakravartini until September 1906. He was its editor for thirteen months.

* * *

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

Rajesh,
Thanks for your vote of confidence. I better live up to it ;) You are a tough guy to please :( in general, but you have always had a soft spot for me.
And, thanks for thanking my family--they deserve it.
Wait until your daughter starts talking. She can compete with me, I'm sure!

Vkailasm,
Thank you! Thanks for bringing Hanuman for inspiration. I can see you are happy that another senior is active--but really, not as much as you are! K was wondering, using the old expression: avar endak kaDaiyilE arisi vAngugiRar enRu! (where does he get his rice from, meaning--how does he have so much energy in doing all that he does!). I wonder too!
Which reminds me--in Sangeetham was it, or in the beginning days of Rasikas.org, someone asked me: what kind of an ID is yours? Calling yourself rice!

I appreciate and enjoy listening to the endless music you provide, and also your writings--kavidaigaL, now MangaLam--and the beautiful images you post. Before someone zooms in on calling all this MAS, let me quickly add--Power to the seniors!

cmlover
Posts: 11498
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:36

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by cmlover »

The choice of the name 'arasi' by 'Rajee' is most appropriate and symbolic.
S/he is a relative for all the members at this Forum whatever way you wish to imagine.
Just ask the question:
IS ARASI AMMA?
Your asnswer bouncess back if you just look back (backwards!).
Replace AMMA by AKKA/ANNA/APPA/ALLA or RAMAR(even almighty!)
i.e., irrespective of gender discrimination (as Bharathy would say!)
No one else has such a unique name at this Forum!
(she is not just a 10K but a 24K - and of course the K is part of her :D )

venkatakailasam
Posts: 4170
Joined: 07 Feb 2010, 19:16

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by venkatakailasam »

Arasiji..thank you for your encouraging words..kindly tell shri K that I eat only little rice...substituting it with cereals

vegetables and a little fruits..only music and sharing it keep me going ..

As Byron has said...There's music in the sighing of a reed;
There's music in the gushing of a rill;
There's music in all things, if men had ears:
Their earth is but an echo of the spheres.

But, I am not among the

Men professing to like music, but for the most part give no evidence of the niceties that the music produces in the thought process...
Last edited by venkatakailasam on 16 May 2012, 06:25, edited 1 time in total.

venkatakailasam
Posts: 4170
Joined: 07 Feb 2010, 19:16

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by venkatakailasam »

Listen to...Pattukkuru pulavan Barathiada-Isai Arasu.Shri MM Dandapani desigar
posted at you tube on 9th sept.2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_E-HAHtl5E

KavimaNi Desika Vinaayakam PiLlai is the composer.

maduraimini
Posts: 477
Joined: 22 Sep 2009, 02:55

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by maduraimini »

Arasi,

Thanks for the beautiful translation of Yadugiri's book. I have read so much about Bharathi, but learned much more from this book, thanks to you. Like the Tamil saying ' Karradu kai man alavu, kalladadu kadalalavu' (what we know is a handful, what we don't know is like a ocean). You brought Bharathiyar before our eyes. Yadugiri, Chellammal and others were standing and talking before us. Your hard work is praiseworthy and we appreciate the time you took to do this. Congratulations on reaching a big landmark! Hope you keep giving us treasures like this.

Here, I want to mention something else about Yadugiri. She must have been a very bright child with an inquisitive mind and thirst for knowledge. She became friends with a man way ahead of his time and her wisdom and reasoning grew because of this. But we should not forget her parents, who let their daughter be who she was. Can you imagine, almost a century ago, a Brahmin teenage girl discussing politics and woman's rights? The girls of her time, learnt from their mothers and grandmas how to be a good housewife, to cook and keep house. They learned music and the art of housekeeping. No girl was interested in what was happening in the world, let alone their country! Her father was a Swadesi and was for woman's freedom. But her mother also must have been a more modern person than the others of her time, to let a young girl go out and discuss things with their neighbor! I enjoyed the pictures and can't wait to hear the tapes of Yadugiri's family.
How do I get a copy of Yadugiri's book? Thanks again for your good and informative work.

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

CML,
Tut, tut, you are capable of getting carried away! Just because the words are palindromic, did you have to bring in the gods? Besides, if in the Rasikas.org family I'm considered by some in all those roles, why have you left out the title 'grandmother'? Some of them are young enough to be my grandchildren. I also reserve the right to admonish my Anna. Note the word 'reserve'. I can't brook others doing it. Not fair? We are family, aren't we? So, fairness isn't observed at all times ;)

Vkailasam,
Please drop the 'ji'. For the way I fool around here, it needn't be added to my name, I think.
Thanks for MMD's song and its moving lines. His compositions and singing appeal to me a great deal.

Maduraimini,
Thank you for your compliments. As for Yadugiri--as you say, she grew up in the charged atmosphere where the mantrA was Freedom. You ask, how could a girl growing up then was able to discuss topics such as 'freedom for women. Mandayam Sri Sri Acharya to me is a fascinating person. How sweetly, steadily he balanced the traditions of his caste with his svadEsi self! Yadugiri's mother in some ways strictly adhered to the family traditions. Her humanity embraced the svadEsis, but if you read the skit that Ranganayaki has written--translated in an earlier post, you will see Chellamma joking about Yadugiri's mother not allowing her into her kitchen because even though Chellamma was also a brahmin, she belonged to another sub-caste!
Though Yadugiri went to live in Karnataka and spent her life there--away from Thamizh nADu, she kept the svadEsi child alive in her every day expressions. Yes, I will bring in the pictures and their accounts later on, when we come to the Puduvai days.
Last edited by arasi on 19 May 2012, 00:43, edited 1 time in total.

rajeshnat
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by rajeshnat »

maduraimini wrote: How do I get a copy of Yadugiri's book?
I ordered 100 and i still have 60 to 70 of those original books with me. I am in chennai if you come to chennai will give you or you can nominate some one in your family so that I can pass it.Contact me by forum e-mail
Last edited by rajeshnat on 16 May 2012, 08:15, edited 2 times in total.

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

Rajesh,
I got thirty volumes from you, some of which I gave to folks in India, and forgot to bring the few copies I had set apart for friends and family here :(
You mean to say--no one else showed any interest in buying Yadugiri's book? :(

CRama
Posts: 2939
Joined: 18 Nov 2009, 16:58

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by CRama »

Rajesh, I want two books. Perhaps we will meet in a future concert and exchange money and books.

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

Bharathi The Reformer
--------------------------

Bharathi was twenty two when he arrived in Chennai. What did he look like?

A friend until the end, S. Doraisami Iyer describes him:
He had such a charming face. He was full of joy. He spoke with clarity. He was frank and expressed his thoughts and feelings freely. He loved his fellow beings. He loved good food. He was frail, but what energy he packed--all that shakthi in him!

At first, he did not have much interest in politics. His patriotic feelings were still dormant in him. When he lived and studied in Banares, he had shown interest in the advancement of women.That interest extended to addressing other social ills as well.

He lived in Thambu Chetty Street when SvadEsa Mithran was housed in Armenian Street. Bharathi made friends with many young men who lived near him.
S. Doraisamy Iyer who was a law student, Chakkarai Chettiar who later became a leader of the workers union, a teacher named Paul, Jayaraman Naidu who was a doctor and C.S. Raghunatha Rao who became a journalist-- were all his friends.

Patron to these young men was Ramasesha Iyer, a long time publisher and the owner of the famed Ganesh Coffee Company. The group of young men met at the coffee works in the evenings. Their exciting conversations continued on as they walked to the High Court beach where they had 'maNalil mahAnADu (conferences on the sandy shore).

There was something called a Social Reform Association where its members gave empty speeches about sama pandhi bhOjanam (all castes eating together), but there was no action. Nothing came out of all the bravado of their orations. Bharathi and his friends detested this. They wanted to make the lip service of the Social Reform Association a reality.

Belonging to different castes and religions as they were, they decided to have a feast where they would partake food cooked by a non-brahmin. Dr. Jayaram Naidu was chosen as the chef. After the event, they spread the word around town. They had more such eating-together feasts, regardless of castes, causing a sensation in Chennai.

They did not stop there. They started a weekly called The Radical Social Reform in english. This four-paged paper was edited by Ragunatha Rao. It
inspired budding young reformers in the city. Whether Bharathi wrote anything for the weekly, we do not know. He might have. Only, copies of the paper are not available to prove it.

* * *

Image


Three leading national leaders of India at the beginning of the 20th century: Lala Lajpath Rai, Bala Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal.

Bharathi's friend Doraisamy Iyer
Last edited by arasi on 19 May 2012, 08:57, edited 2 times in total.

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

Guru Darshan
---------------

Around that time when Bharathi joined SvadEsa Mithran, patriotic feelings were astir in the nation.

Ten months after he arrived in Chennai, Bengal was divided against the will of the people.
Bharathi got involved with politics and in1905 in the September 15th issue of the journal, he had published his poem 'vangamE vAzhiyavE!' (long live Bengal!).He also sang it to a vast crowd in a beach meeting.

Then came the division of Bengal. Public disapproval about it had an effect on the national congress. As opposed to the members who made polite pleas to the british government for reforms, there emerged a number of revolutionaries within the congress who were prepared to give up their lives in the struggle for freedom. There were three key figures among them: Lala Lajpat Rai from Punjab, Bal Gangadhar Tilak from Maharashtra and Bipin Chandra Pal from Bengal. Babu Aravinda Ghosh was also close to them.

Gopala Krishna Gokhale, V. Krishnaswami Iyer, Pheroze Shah Mehtha and Ras Bihari Ghosh were among the conservatives.

The Congress met at Banares in 1905. Bharathi was there to cover the events for the newspaper. He went on to Calcutta where he met Sister Nivedita, the spiritual daughter of Vivekananda. After meeting her, a great change came upon Bharathi.

Nivedita Devi, an english woman (nee Margaret.E.Noble), after coming to know of the heroic and ennobling call of Vivekananda, decided to come to the old land of India to serve its people. With the blessings of Vivekananda, she became a sanyAsin and led her life in service at the Ramakrishna Mission. She was ignited with a zeal for the welfare of India and dedicated her life to it. She was a tireless worker and looked upon India's thirty million people as her brethren.

When Bharathi met her, this amazing woman said to him: Son, let there be no divisions in your heart! Give up uncivilized notions about differences among castes and religions! Let there be no bias in you about one's station in life or of one's genealogy. Just keep the love in your heart burning and you will be praised as a heroic and heavenly creature and will find a place in the history of this land!

She also asked Bharathi about his family. When he said he had a wife and two daughters, she asked him why he did not bring his wife with him. Bharathi said that where he came from, the wife did not travel with her husband, that too this far when he had come to attend an event like the congress meeting.

Niveditha got upset on hearing this. She exclaimed: From now on, consider your wife as your other self--like the other hand which helps you in your service to the nation! Think of her as a goddess in your life!
Bharathi promised her that he would.

Niveditha gave him a leaf that she had brought from her journey to the Himalayas as a souvenir of their meeting. Bharathi treasured it until his last days. When someone offered him money for it, he refused to part with it. After his death, the leaf could not be found.

What Bharathi wrote later about this meeting: In a single moment, I got a vision of the glow of her renunciation and her noble sense of service. This gem of a guru made me realize that.

* * *
Image



Niveditha
-----------
An offering of grace, a temple of love,
To my heart's darkness, a bright sun--

To our great land she came--
Like plentiful rain for wilting crops

For the helpless poor, like a treasure,
A torch to put out our sense of inferiority!

Mother Niveditha--
I worship thee!

Bharathi
Last edited by arasi on 21 May 2012, 19:43, edited 2 times in total.

cienu
Posts: 2387
Joined: 04 Feb 2010, 11:40

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by cienu »

Wonderful Arasi. The pictures in # 387 and 388 along with your translations are a double delight !

Yadu gopu
Posts: 2
Joined: 20 May 2012, 01:17

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by Yadu gopu »

:clap: dear ArasiaRe,
Just tobe amoung your candid parivarms, I have joined the forem.
I am thanga killis third daughter in law and Author Yadugiris second daughter's second daughter and the only Yadugiri in the generation so far..I will be happy to help you in any way regarding Dear Pattys great book.
An udon..Yadugiri Gopinath. :clap:

rshankar
Posts: 13754
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by rshankar »

Arasi - absolutely stunning! The picture and poem on Sister Nivedita were both beautiful!

And, Smt. Yadugiri Gopinath (or, as we have decided to refer to you, Yadugiri Junior), Welcome!! Your grandmother's book has ignited such a devoted following, it is unbelievable. It will be a pleasure to hear of your insights and inputs as well!

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

Yadugiri,
Good to hear from you. Welcome to Rasikas.org!

You are already known on this thread as the only other Yadugiri (also known as Junior Yadugiri)! I have written about you--as to how helpful you were in bringing many of Yadugiri's family members together so that I could meet them.

With my present writing, very soon, when Bharathi arrives in Puduvai from Chennai (I am going chronologically, as Chithra Bharathi does), I will be posting segments about his years there. We can then do the Bengaluru meeting.

Yes, I do need your help! Part of the recordings is missing, and I will write to you about it with particulars. Could yo please help me in rerecording the missing bits? Thanks! And oh, big thanks to Dwaraki for lending me her copy of Chithra Bharathi. We are indebted to her for that...
Last edited by arasi on 20 May 2012, 07:18, edited 1 time in total.

PUNARVASU
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Joined: 06 Feb 2010, 05:42

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by PUNARVASU »

arasi, I have been holding my comments bec. I was wondering if it is possible just to have your story continuously.In cas somebody wants to make a PDF,it will be easier.But evey post of yours is absolutely beautiful, I could not help writing(interrupting) here.
May be, we should have a separate(parallel)thread for comments. Just kidding. :)

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

Cienu,
Happy that you have a bit of time to read now. I can still hear your mother and Aishwarya singing 'nenjukku nIdiyum thOLukku vALum' for me in February!

Ravi,
You are always appreciative.
We have to thank VK and K for taking care of the pictures!

Punarvasu,
You are a dear. Anything written about Bharathi captures our imagination, that's what it is. rA. a. Padmanabhan has to be thanked for his tireless and dedicated work in gathering material about Bharathi and for bringing it all to us in this work.

How I miss your father now! That 'young at heart' was the first one to make a PDF of my translation of Yadugiri's book! I miss his delivering Sri Rama's blessings...

cmlover
Posts: 11498
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:36

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by cmlover »

Reciprocating Punarvasu's sentiments and watching from the wings.
Welcome Yadugiri Junior.
Can we also have Dwarki join?
Yes! I miss veeyens too terrbly!
Thanks VK and K from all of us for the Illustrations...

smala
Posts: 3223
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 00:55

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by smala »

The reading is dreamlike and Yadu Gopu joining in makes it even more magical... as if we can step into those times of Bharathi and Yadugiri

thanjavooran
Posts: 2972
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 04:44

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by thanjavooran »

Arasi Avl,
The pictures in # 387 and 388 along with your translations are Wonderful. I read word by word in my leisure and hence this delay in recording my appreciation. Excellent venture.
With wishes,
Thanjavooran 21 05 2012

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

smala,
The cool breeze of the coast would have endeared you more to Bharathi, reminding you of his days by the beach with his friends and children. If I have enough time to work on the translation, we will soon get there to Puduvai :)

Thanjavooran,
Always good to hear from you! If you have only read these two posts, please scroll back and you will find 'kaNNanaip pADiya kaviyin jananam'--the birth of the poet who sang about Krishna. Take your time, but try to read about his growing up years. After all, there is a magic about childhood, however insignificant we are, and here, it's about Bharathi, the mahA kavi and a mahAn!

CML said, 'take your time', and it suits me. Also suits most of the rasikAs in that they can to take in a bit every now and then with all the activities in their lives which keeps them extremely busy.

cmlover
Posts: 11498
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:36

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by cmlover »

Always it is great to know about a great man in person.
The second best to hear about him from from one who knew him.
It is equally interesting to learn about persons who knew about the person who knew about the great man... perhaps and so on ad infinitum. But the truth always shines out! It takes a discriminating historian to bring it out even through a translation!
एकं सत् विप्रा बहुना वदन्ति।

nrv
Posts: 1
Joined: 13 Apr 2010, 12:18

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by nrv »

arasi,

a great service for all bharathi lovers. Your words give the bhavam of his poems making them immensely more sweeter and enjoyable

Thanks

Yadu gopu
Posts: 2
Joined: 20 May 2012, 01:17

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by Yadu gopu »

Dear ArasiaRe and NattaRe,

Very glad to be back here with you all..thank you all for the warm welcome.
ArasiaRe,
I noticed a thing which needs correction. Kindly bear with me.
My dear Patty Yadugiri was at Mysore, when Sri Barathiyar passed away..rf.post no.252on page11.
The manuscript I gave you seems to have both Pattys and her kid sis..my mamiyars scripts.
The note is my mamiyars, thanga kilis as the page no is 5, may be the previous 4 were Pattys..
Well, I'm sorry for the mixup.
Ranganayaki was there on the fateful day to write about it..ref.post no 350on page14.
Lots of similarities in the style and handwriting of sisters.
I will talk to DWaraki chitti and ask her to join the forum ,as suggested.
Once again, thank you all .yadu

cmlover
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Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:36

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by cmlover »

Thanks Yadu..
Now you are making this thread very personal.
With Dwarki also joining we will have the "Parade of Bharathy" led by the expert GOL (Grand Old Lady) in our travel through the Memory Lanes!

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

Yadugiri,
Thanks!
What I did was, photocopy all of your mAmiyAr's (Ranganayaki)'s book which you gave me, and I brought the new copy with me. I was confident to handle the one printed on sturdy paper while translating. That's how I did the first skit.

As for Yadugiri's manuscript papers that you gave me, I did not want to bring them with the pages being so fragile to handle. I merely brought the few pages in which she writes about the elephant hurting Bharathi, which was put up here earlier. No, I had no chance to know about the mixed-up pages! We can sit together in Bengaluru when I'm there and sort it out. Your pATTi Yadugiri says in Bharathi NinaivugaL that she got a letter from her father, bearing the sad news--which you will see in the translation.

Take your time, but go through the other threads on Bharathi also, where we have material from many sources. With Dwaraki and others, you can check facts about the Mandayam family and correct them if they are wrong. After all, these are word-of-mouth accounts and may need checking.

venkatakailasam
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Joined: 07 Feb 2010, 19:16

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by venkatakailasam »

Image



paramugam ennamma.??

you are aware that rasikas are waiting for further installments of the life story of Barathi...you are silent for the last ten days now..
Have you come to Bangaloru...as indicated in your last post..??

cmlover
Posts: 11498
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:36

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by cmlover »

Summer is precious time to spend with friends and family.
Rasikas should be patient...

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

Editor of indiA
...........................

After meeting Niveditha Devi, Bharathi returned to Chennai with renewed spirit.

peTRa thAyum piRanda ponnADum
naTRava vAnilum thanich chiRandanavE!
One's own mother and the land of one's birth are greater than heaven attained by arduous penance.

Bharathi was steeped in such thoughts. While those around him worshipped different gods, this jewel of a poet worshipped BhAratha MAthA in everything that he beheld.
"You have to focus your mind on the image of Mother India in shackles. Then you will be inspired to remove her from the chains of slavery", was Niveditha's message which reverberated in his heart.

In 1906, the National Congress met at Calcutta. Dadabai Nauroji who presided over it gave a rousing speech. "Freedom is our goal!", he roared.
As an editor at SvadEsa Mithran, Bharathi found it very frustrating that he could not express his intense feelings and opinions in fiery words about the political scene. He did not have a chance to write editorials. He was in charge of Chakravarthini, the monthly for women where current political affairs were not discussed.
The partition of Bengal, the svadESi movement and the longing for freedom had started flooding the consciousness of the people of India. A desire for doing away with the state of slavery and to obtain self-government was spreading all across the country.
Bharathi was keen that a thamizh language paper should be started to convey all these stirrings to the people of thamizh nADu in simple but eloquent thamizh. Bharathi was penniless. How could he start a newspaper? As if to answer his prayers, a new thamizh paper was born.
Like manna from heaven, IndiA fell into Bharathi's hands.
A wealthy man from TiruvallikkENi called Thirumalachari was running BrahmavAdin, a monthly. The publisher, Azhagia singapperumal started wondering if a spiritual monthly was an effective vehicle for stirring nationalistic feelings in thamizh nADu. It was then decided that a thamizh newspaper should be started to serve this purpose which made Thirumalachar go in search of a printing machine.
Bharathi arrived on the scene at the right moment. Here was just the man for the job with his experience in editing. Needless to say, he possessed such immense talent for writing.
* * *
Last edited by arasi on 06 Jun 2012, 18:45, edited 3 times in total.

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

IndiA, the Renaissance Newspaper
..........................................

Bharathi was given complete freedom in editing indiA. Nothing stopped him from expressing his own opinions on the political scene. The depth of his thoughts coupled with his idealism for the golden past of thamizh nADu were reflected in his writings. His vibrant words conveyed the impact of the political drama which unfolded every day in the nation. Because of his love for music and in his being a poet and singer, words came out of Bharathi's pen with lyrical beauty and majesty.

Sri.Sri. Acharya describes the beginnings of indiA this way:
The news weekly was started on May 8th, 1906. The managing editor was M.P. Thirumalachar. He went to Europe and to the USA to spread the word about the indian nationals. He married a russian woman and returned to India after it gained independence, and lived in Mumbai. When his wife died, he was broken-hearted, fell into poverty and died in 1953.

As for the newspaper, it was printed on half crown size (15"x10') paper with sixteen pages and was sold for nine old paise in Chennai and for an anna elsewhere.
M. Srinivasan was given credit as its editor for legal reasons.

The front page carried a large political cartoon. Making a block out of a photograph was not possible in those days. The caricaturist had to etch the cartoon on a tin plate under the keen eye of Bharathi who would even act out the poses in which he wanted the characters to be drawn!

Along with his articles, Bharathi's poems and stories were also published in indiA. His gnAna ratham was serialized in the paper.
indiA came out in a larger size from June 13, 1908. Four thousand copies were sold each week--which was an impressive number then. Thamizh and islamic dates were printed on it, not the dates of the english calendar.
The yearly subscription including postage was three rupees. Advertising rates were forty rupees for a full page ad appearing in four issues, and small ads were an anna a line.
* * *
Last edited by arasi on 06 Jun 2012, 21:18, edited 3 times in total.

arasi
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

Sorry folks (VKailasam in particular) for not posting recently. Could not find time to sit down and type amid a flurry of activities.
Please feel free to correct me and to interpret the verses in a better way than I do, as we move along. Thanks...

cmlover
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Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:36

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by cmlover »

Nice to see you back in spite of busy schedule!
It will be nice to see some of the pages of those publications.
I wonder whether they have been archived in some libraries! ?PB
Can somebody track down the descendants of Thirumalachar?

Pratyaksham Bala
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by Pratyaksham Bala »

arasi wrote:IndiA, the Renaissance Newspaper ... Thamizh and islamic dates were printed on it, not the dates of the english calendar ...
Check the date line in:-
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zS2JDRBdNzk/T ... 10+033.jpg

arasi
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Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

PB to the rescue!
Yes, the english date is there in the earlier versions. I have edited the content to say it. It is the latter editions which did not carry it when indiA was published in a larger size--from June 13 1908, to be exact.
Last edited by arasi on 07 Jun 2012, 01:14, edited 2 times in total.

Pratyaksham Bala
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by Pratyaksham Bala »

In 1906, the National Congress met at Calcutta. Dadabai Nauroji who presided over it gave a rousing speech. "Freedom is our goal!", he roared.
Unfortunately Dadabai Nauroji did not roar, 'Freedom is our goal!'
He merely asked for 'Swaraj' -- self-government of the UK type or of the colonies, under the control of the British!

The demand for 'Purna Swaraj' came much later.

---------
Mods: You may delete my posts, if you consider them undesirable.

arasi
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

PB,
"Freedom is our goal!" meant, our ultimate goal, perhaps ;)
I'm just translating from the material I have.
Here are the exact words of the author (rA. a. Padmanabhan): mudu perundalaivar dAdA bAi naurOji agrAsanap padaviyilirundu suya rAjyamE namadu ilaTchiyam ena muzhanginAr.

svarAj, suya rAjyam were words which also were substituted with svatantrA, sudandiram. We did not use the word pUrNa sudandiram in every day speech. enRu thaNiyum inda sudandira dAgam, sang the poet. What did he mean by that, given the date when he composed it? The same with the word viDudalai. Yes, Dadabai was not Bala Gangadhar Tilak!

Pratyaksham Bala
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by Pratyaksham Bala »

Dadabai used the word ‘Swaraj’ and explained its meaning in English as ‘self-government under British rule’. Dadabai passed away, and other leaders had to struggle with the expression ‘Swaraj’ which unfortunately did not convey the meaning ‘Freedom’. Years later, they had to coin ‘Purna-Swaraj’ to mean ‘Freedom from foreign rule'. All these were at the highest political level. For the common man ‘swaraj’ was freedom and ‘purna swaraj’ was complete freedom.

Now we are playing with three languages – Hindi, English and Tamil ! Dadabai used Hindi ‘Swaraj’ to mean ‘self-government under British rule'. Our RAP quoted it faithfully as ‘Suya Rajyam’. His Tamil expression is now translated as ‘Freedom’, though Dadabai had to struggle explaining to other leaders that he did not mean freedom, but only self-government under the British !

Let us move on with the story of Bharati as told by RAP.

cmlover
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by cmlover »

Even Gandhiji supported 'self-rule' under the british crown (Dominion status) till the Quit India Movement of 1942...

arasi
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

This summer is turning out to be busier than usual for me. I realize that to find some quiet time and to concentrate on the translation is not going to be easy.
Sorry for the delay, but I do see a solution to this. We have a number of forumites who are capable of continuing where I have left off. Just look at the stable of poets we have! A scholar/poet/translator of french poetry--Ponbhairavi! Pratyaksham Bala, another gentleman from Bharathi's Puduvai! CML, Ganeshkanth, Vkailasam, Punarvasu, Rajani, sridhar and several more. Ravi (Shankar) has very little time, after all the work he does with the lyrics.
I'd be happy to send a copy of the the pages of Chithra Bharathi to the one who volunteers to take it from here. As the Puduvai chapters are in progress, I will bring in the interview and photos of the Mandayam family. When things slow down a bit at home, I'm more than willing to finish the translation, if the one who volunteers runs out of time for it.
I do feel that we should somehow continue the translation. Of all the people, we don't want to keep Bharathi waiting!

kvchellappa
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by kvchellappa »

I am not a poet or a literarily endowed person, but if no one else volunteers, I would like to give it a try.
Regards.

sridhar_ranga
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by sridhar_ranga »

Arasi, I would love to take up some of the translation work after July 25th. I have 3+ weeks of hectic schedule ahead at work including 2 weeks of travel to/within India. Do please feel free to pass the baton to any others you think fit meanwhile - Shri. Chellappa has been kind enough to volunteer already.

arasi
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

kvchellappa and Sridhar,
Thanks for volunteering! Let's wait for a few more days and see if others are keen on sharing the work. Then, the rest of the pages can be divided among you and the translation of the whole volume can be completed in no time at all!

Ponbhairavi
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by Ponbhairavi »

I am half way through in my next book on 20th century french literature and sorry i have no time for any other commitment.
rajagopalan

venkatakailasam
Posts: 4170
Joined: 07 Feb 2010, 19:16

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by venkatakailasam »

Rsachi v requested for link to my blog where the translation by arasi "Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet"

is available...The link is provided here so that others who are interested in can also view and read...

http://e-swari.blogspot.in/2011/07/oy-b ... to-12.html
http://e-swari.blogspot.in/2011/07/oy-b ... 13-26.html
http://e-swari.blogspot.in/2011/07/barathiyar-yaar.html
"Barathi yaar"
(contains views of various personalities,articles etc.)


Daily about 60-70 viewers read the above threads...
Last edited by venkatakailasam on 21 Jul 2012, 19:15, edited 1 time in total.

venkatakailasam
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Joined: 07 Feb 2010, 19:16

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by venkatakailasam »

To day there was an interview of Shri Vijay Siva about Smt. DK Pattammal...in podhigai TV..

In the course of the interview,he mentioned an incident during a concert by her..
She was singing a Barathi composition..at the end, she saw a woman standing in a corner who was shedding tears..
Smt DKP called her near and asked her as to why she was crying..
She replied that she was his wife chellammal..She said that Pattammal was singing it in the same spirit in which it was composed by her husband..
and that brought tears in her eyes...

cmlover
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Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:36

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by cmlover »

Historic... and Touching...
It was MS, DKP and MKT who brought Bharathy to the masses!

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by arasi »

Just saw this.
Pattamma had a heart of gold. She could not bear to see a tear in anyone's eyes, for that matter!
Yes, it was a touching moment. Chellamma would have loved listening to Pattamma voicing her husband's memorable lines which was heard from every corner tea shop and AIR. Thanks to AVM's film nAmiruvar (We Two) which, along with Kamala's dances introduced Bharathi's songs to cities and villages alike in a big way...

rshankar
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Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by rshankar »

arasi wrote: introduced Bharathi's songs to cities and villages alike in a big way...
eTTu dikkum eTTa koTTumuraSE....after all!

kvchellappa
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Joined: 04 Aug 2011, 13:54

Re: Oy BhAratiyArE!--A Child's Eye View of the Poet

Post by kvchellappa »

The Congress which ended in Chaos
In July 1906, Swami Abhedananda paid a visit to Chennai. As a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and colleague of Vivekanannda, he was accorded a royal reception in Chennai.
“Just a grand reception will not do, we should follow his teachings also. We should abide by the courage and spirit of unity that he is advocating,” pleaded Bharathi. He also composed a song in praise of Abhedananda.

Next year in 1907, Bharathi got up arrangements to invite to Chennai Vipin Chandra Pal, a fierce orator who was likened to a volcano. He proceeded to Vijayawada to welcome Pal and escorted him to Chennai.

At this time another hard-line leader, Lala Lajpat Rai, was constrained to live in Burma on exile. In the province of Chennai, V.U. Chidambaram Pillai and Subramania Siva were accused of treason and convicted.

“The placid outlook of Chennai-ites flew away in the very presence of Vipin Chandra Pal,” noted Bharathi. The songs, ‘Lajapat Rai Pralapam’ and ‘Lajpat Rai Thuthi’ were born at this time.

At this juncture, Congress session was to be held in Surat in Dec. 1907. In this Congress session, the hard-liners planned and tried to wrest the Congress from the hold of the moderates.

Bharathi announced the plan to take the hard-line representatives in a reserved railway coach and appealed to them to register their names. He sent a telegram to the Tuticorin lawyer, V.U.Chidambaram Pillai to go over to Chennai. ‘Chennai Jana Sangam’, the set-up of hard-liners, met and discussed.

V.U.C. has mentioned in his memoirs on Bharathi, “Bharathi Mama said that we should take a contingent of not less than a hundred representatives to Surat. .. We sent a telegram to Tilak that we would bring a hundred representatives.”
The plan was that Mandya Srinivasacharya and V.U.C. would defray the expenses of the delegates who could not afford the journey.
The response from the youth was overwhelming that they had to book two carriages instead of one for the journey. The youth of Chennai reached Surat in two days.

In Surat, the moderates also had come with their entourage. The efforts for conciliation between the two groups did not fructify.
Trouble broke out on the very first agenda item of the session. No sooner was the name of Rash Behari Ghosh proposed for the president of the session by the moderates than Tilak jumped on his feet and raised objection. The moderates shouted, ‘Don’t talk. Go to your seat.’ Tilak stood his ground.

In the meantime, Rash Behari Ghosh took the podium and started to read his presidential address. Shouts arose from the hardliners, “You are not yet elected the president. Do not read.” Confusion abounded. Arguments strengthened. Fisticuffs ensued. Chairs flew. A pair of Maharashtrian red footwear also flew in the sky! The Chennai delegates encircled Tilak as a fortress.
Rajaji, who had gone to Surat, recalls, “When the pandemonium was in progress, Bharathiyar was watching the fun from afar with G.A.Natesan.”
Police came on the scene to quell the riot. The session was postponed. The hard-liners did not approve of it. They held a ‘national conference’ under the leadership of Arvind Ghosh.

Bharathiyar published on return to Chennai a pamphlet titled, ‘Our Congress Journey’. Sri S.G.Ramanujulu, an editor of those days, has said that the pamphlet was sold for just two annas and that a booklet of Tilak’s speech was also released called, ‘Tenets of the new party’.

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