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

Miscellaneous topics on Carnatic music
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cmlover
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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
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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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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
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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
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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
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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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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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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
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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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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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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
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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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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’.

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

Post by cmlover »

Thanks kvchellappa for the continuation of Arasi's fine translations.
Very many historical facts are here as are our choice Freedom fighters.
Your presentation is equally engrossing....

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

Post by kvchellappa »

Thanks. I must acknowledge that I had the benefit of Madam's suggestions.

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

Post by arasi »

I'm so glad the translation continues. Thanks Chellappa! Soon, Sridharang is going to continue until I can find the time to concentrate on the rest of Chitra Bharathi's pages.

CML,
Kindly add to the post the title: The Congress Which Ended In Chaos

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

Post by cmlover »

This story also shows how Arvind Ghosh turned Radical and later extradited himself at Pondichery and later joined by Bharathy...

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

Post by kvchellappa »

Image

Our Congress Tour

On the evening of Saturday, the 21st, some 30 of us, members of the new party, set out from Chennai Central Station. Assembled in our group were Thanjavur Sri K.Ramasamy Iyer, Thootthukkudi Sri Chidambaram Pillai, (from Chennai) Sri Sakkarai Chetty, B.A.,B.L., Sri Duraisamy Iyer, M.A.,B.L., Sri Sankaranarayana Iyer, Sri Venkataramana Rao, Sri Yathiraja Surendranath, myself and a few others, some wealthy people from Thiruvallikkeni and a few gentlemen from outside Chennai.

Our friends and several gentlemen had come to the station from different directions, out of patriotism, wishing to see us off with warmth. The youth, passionate in loyalty to the nation and being the guardians of the future of Bharatha Desam, had come and caused us great joy. Though we had engaged coolies to lug our baggage carts to our rooms, some good-natured youngsters lugged the carts themselves.
(This was published by Bharathi soon after his return from Surat Congress.)

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

Post by cmlover »

Thanks kvc for the excellent translation!

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

Post by kvchellappa »

Welcome.
It gives me great ananda to be associated in this group.

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

Post by kvchellappa »

Image

Bala Bharatha

Many, who knew Bharathi as a Tamil poet and prose writer par excellence, did not bear in mind his proficiency in English or English journalism.

The competence that he brought to bear on just a political weekly viz. ‘India’ shone ever greater in the English monthly called ‘Bala Bharatha’ published from Nov. 1907. The full name of the periodical was ‘Bala Bharatha or Young India’.

In Chennai, C.M.Nanjunda Rao, a well-known doctor, managed Bala Bharatha for Bharathi. He was a dear friend of Bharathi though 20 years his elder. He also had unlimited devotion to Vivekananda.

The monthly, Bala Bharatha, came with the epithet, ‘magazine for national resurgence’. Bharathi was proclaimed as its editor. He wrote copiously in it without adding his name. Nivedita Devi, the supreme guru of Bharathi, also contributed to every issue of her disciple’s magazine anonymously. Several other intellectuals wrote in their own names.

The monthly magazine contained sections on philosophy, nationalism, reformation in the lives of people and Vedanta. Vivekananda’s powerful English slogan, ‘Arise, awake, stop not until your goal is reached’ and ‘kuNDalini’ of national consciousness figured in the top page.

The magazine came in royal quarto size (9”x6”) running to about 32 pages every month. G.C. Lokanathan and Bros. published it from Guardian Press, Mount Road, in top class paper and finest print with standard articles. Registered No. was M. 701, annual subscription for India, Burma and Ceylon Rs. one and a half and for abroad 3 shillings or 1 U.S. dollar. Those ordering six numbers would be charged for 5 only.

The address of the magazine was ‘Goodwyn and Co., Mylapore, South Chennai’. This was the address of Nanjunda Rao’s drugstore in Kutcheri Road. The revolutionaries that visited Chennai used to stay in the upstairs of the store.

Dr. Nanjunda Rao was a Maharashtrian, born in 1862 as the son of a poor worker. He was expert in studies and won several prizes and medals. He completed medical studies as a student of Mysore Government in Madras Medical College and secured first rank in the university in the course offered those days called M.B. and M.C. (Bachelor of Medicine and Master of Curatory).

As soon as he commenced practice in Mylapore, several Englishmen including Madam Annie Besant and Bishop Leadpbeater, and many prominent Indians went to him for treatment. He used to practise Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani systems also apart from Allopathy. By virtue of this, he described himself as an ‘eclectic physician’.

Nanjunda Rao donated liberally for several public causes. He is the one who built the house in Thiruvallikkeni, where Bharathi lived. Besides, a red house situated opposite Kapaliswarar tank in Mylapore was the doctor’s house.

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

Post by cmlover »

Very very interesting tidbits!
Are these 'english writings' of Bharathy collectively publoished?
They are national treasures!
PB
Can you ferret out more details?

Incidentally you mean "eidectic physician" :D
http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/eidetic

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

Post by arasi »

kvchellappa,
Thanks--and to vasanthakokilam for helping in putting the illustrated page up.

CML,
That's a new word for me. Interestingly, the original says eclectic physician. rA a Padmanabhan perhaps meant 'eidectic' but wrote eclectic instead. Possible.

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

Post by vasanthakokilam »

eclectic - "selecting what appears to be best in various doctrines or methods"
That matches what is mentioned in parenthesis in the original.

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

Post by cmlover »

Thanks KVC/VK
I was about to ask for a picture of Dr Nanjunda Rao.
I agree 'eclectic' is equally appropriate here since the doctor is a versatile polymath!

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

Post by Pratyaksham Bala »

Check this for Bharati's escape to Pondicherry, with the help of Dr. Rao:
http://madrasramblings.blogspot.in/2009 ... apore.html

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

Post by Pratyaksham Bala »

kvchellappa wrote:... ... Besides, a red house situated opposite Kapaliswarar tank in Mylapore was the doctor’s house.
The first time I visited the house was in 1963 when I was staying in a lodge at East Mada Street. Fifteen years after that I was lucky to live in a similar house at Nungambakkam for a few years. May be, that was one of the prestigeous house designs a hundred years back.
Last edited by Pratyaksham Bala on 17 Aug 2012, 22:24, edited 1 time in total.

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

Post by cmlover »

The picture of the house
http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/04/29/stor ... 780100.htm
Thanks PB
What a colourful person Dr Nanjunda Rao was!
His life reads like a thriller story!

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

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

Post by arasi »

PB,
What a find! Thanks!
Every line in this piece speaks of the vibrant life which went on within the walls of this dwelling and of this extraordinary gentleman and his lady who lived there and breathed life into so many needy individuals. They also made it a place of welcome to the most illustrious men of the land.

With a name like Nanjunda, I wondered why Padmanabhan refers to him as from Maharashtra. The writer of this essay gives us his full name: Mysore Chavan Nanjunda Rao. So, it was a family which came from Maharashtra to Mysore and settled there. He in his turn, became a tamizhnADu person in making Chennai his home.

CML,
You and I, and perhaps a few others among us are familiar with this kind of coming together of men and women from all parts of the country as one family. They were all bhAratha mAthA's children.
Sometimes, when you get inflamed (!) looking at happenings of divisive forces, I wonder if you need to be more restrained. We experienced such great happenings as children, from the fringe. No wonder, the destructive 'Divide and rule' principle (ironically of the Raj days!)of the post-independence era provokes you !

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

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

Post by cmlover »

Yes it is nostalgia!
I do dread the cancer Americanization rapidly spreading in TN :(

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

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

Post by arasi »

CML,
Yes and not quite--by which I mean: there are many good things to be picked up, American, Canadian, European and so on. You are worried about the superficial things any nation can offer which are being picked up in internet speed in your native land, are you not?

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

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

Post by cmlover »

Yes indeed!
Especially when our 'native' values are lost :(

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 »

First Publication

Ever since he arrived in Chennai in 1904, Bharathi’s patriotic fervour blazed forth like a great fire. At the time of Bengal partition, Bharathi published in the magazine ‘Chakravarthini’ in Dec. 1905 the first translation of VanDe MAtharam beginning as ‘Iniya neer perukkinai, inkani vaLatthinai’.

Two months since then, in Feb. 1906, he announced his desire to publish a book ‘compiling as a garland the beads of various poems composed by a variety of poets at different times in Thamizh and English, describing the glory of BhArathAmbika that is our Motherland’. He also published an appeal in SvadEsa Mithran to compose and contribute new patriotic songs other than just the poems depicting the country in old works.

No one sent such patriotic songs as expected by Bharathi. Therefore, he plunged himself in the task of filling the breach. Many intensely patriotic songs composed by him appeared in ‘Mithran’, ‘India’ and other papers. Yet, the poet was not contented. He was eager to publish his poems in a book form, but there was no clue to the money required. What to do? It seems that he shared his longing with his friend, Sri G.A.Natesan. He told Bharathi, “Only Sri V.Krishnaswamy Iyer can fulfil your desire. If you like, I will take you to him today itself.” As Krishnaswamy Iyer was a confirmed moderate and was the target of his diatribe in every issue of ‘India’, should Bharathi go to such a political opponent for assistance? Even if he did, would it fruitful? Bharathi therefore said, “I hear that he talks of me angrily always. I do not like to approach him.”

Sri Natesan did not give up. He told Bharathi, “You do not know his nature. If he gets a taste of your poetry, he would not refrain from extending necessary help.” He insisted repeatedly and took Bharathi to Krishnaswamy Iyer’s house the same evening.

In the open space in front of his bungalow, Krishnaswamy Iyer was chatting with his friends. It was rather dark. Seeing Natesan accompanied by a stranger, Krishnaswamy Iyer enquired who he was. Iyer and Bharathi had not met earlier. Natesan replied with a smile, “He is a Thamizh poet. He has composed a few poems. I have brought him in the hope that you would certainly listen to them.” Taking a cue from Iyer, Natesan bid Bharathi to sing. Bharathi started to sing in a sonorous voice ‘Vande Matharam’ in NAdanAmakriyA raga in Aananda KaLippu metre. When he came to the line ‘Aayiram undingu jAthi - There are a thousand castes here,’ Krishnaswamy Iyer, who was reclining in the chair, could not help sit up.

Next, Bharathi sang the national poem beginning ‘Enthaiyum thAyum – my father and mother’ in KAmbhodi raga and finally finished with the song ‘EngaL NADu – our country’ beginning ‘Mannum imaya malai - the great Himalaya mountain’ in BhoopAla raga. Krishnaswami Iyer could not contain his delight. He said, “Why are you letting such beautiful songs to season? Is it not to be made to spread country-wide among the schools and teachers who train girls in music? Why are you keeping mum?”

Friend Natesan put forth the poet’s plight tactically. He said, “If you could help…”
”Where is the hitch? Here is one hundred rupees for you. I will also bear the cost of printing and distributing these three poems free. What is your name?”
It was a dilemma. Bharathi looked at Natesan. Natesan sported a smile and said, “He is Bharathi. He is the author of articles in the newspaper ‘India’, which you read often.”
Contrary to expectation, Iyer responded, “Are you Subramania Bharathiyar? What a noble patriotism is manifest in you! Unaware of it, I considered you one of the fanatical hard-liners, didn’t I?”

Krishnaswami Iyer got ten thousand copies of the three poems sung by Bharathi printed in beautiful paper and distributed to schools and public institutions free throughout the country.

(Sri K.Chandrasekharan, son of V.Krishnaswami Iyer, has published these details in his father’s biography).

It was the first occasion when Bharathi’s songs came out as an exclusive publication. In 1904, Bharathi’s song went to press for the first time and in 1907, his songs came out as a separate pamphlet.

The last stanza of Bharathi’s poem ‘VandE MAtharam enbOm’ was left out in the later editions of the publication ‘SvadEsa Geethangal’ published by Krishnaswami Iyer. The stanza left out was:

‘Devi Nam BhAratha Bhoomi – engaL
TheemaigaL yAvaiyum theerttharuL seyvAL
AaviyuDan poruL moonDrum – antha
Annai potrALinu-kkarpithamAkki
(VanDe)

Instead, the stanza ‘Pulladimai thozhil pEni’ , which was not in the 1907 edition, appears in present editions.

Thamizh Thatha (grand old man of Thamizh), Dr. U.V.Swaminatha Iyer, has mentioned in his ‘Ninaivu Manjari (reminiscences)’ that Bharathi composed the poem ‘Senthamizh NAdu’ after listening to V.Krishnaswamy Iyer’s speech in the Thamizh Sangam of Presidency College. What Bharathi sang after listening to the Presidency College address must be the song ‘BhAratha DEsamenDru peyar solluvAr – will name it BhAratha DEsam’. The song ‘Senthamizh NaDu’ was composed when Bharathi was in Pondicherry for a competition and just won the second prize only!

Bharathi had boundless compassion for Thamizh poets. The song which Bharathi sang in the felicitation meeting for Swaminatha Iyer when he got MahAmahOpAdhyAya title is unforgettable. As someone said (erroneously) that it was flawed in diction and literary taste, Bharathi left the meeting midway. At the end of the meeting, Swaminatha Iyer appreciated the song much and desired to hear it again. Bharathi was not there.

Though there was mutual respect between Bharathi and Swaminatha Iyer, when Swaminatha Iyer was approached for a foreword for Chellamma Bharathis publication of ‘svaDEsa geethangal’, he refused for the reason that he was a teacher in a Govt. college!

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

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

Post by cmlover »

How inspiring!
All in beautiful CM ragas...
When such inspiring verses are available (which are needed now for 'prabuddha bhArata' ) why are our performers just stick to 'ooshippOna' Trinity (in a language people do not understand!).
VaRutta kaDalayai vaRuttheDukkiRArkaL !

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

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

Post by arasi »

CML,
We certainly need to hear more songs of Bharathi and others in tamizh on stage. I think we also do see that happening now in degrees.
It's not just in Thamzhisai manRam alone that we are offered 'all tamizh songs' concerts now. Margazhi mahA utsavam and now the new MArgazhi isai vizhA offer us a lot of thamizh songs. This season, HMB's compositions were sung by Sanjay Subrahmanyan so well. What variety! What ghanam in some of the songs! The same with Mazhavai chidambara bharathi whose songs I was not very familiar with.Thanks to youtube and rasikAs like VKailasam, they are there for all to hear.

No need for you to be concerned with vaRutha pazhaiya kaDalai or worse, in the name of invention, puLitha pazhaiya dOsai mAvu ;)

You are jesting, of course.
inda niRam siRidenRum idu ETRadenRum sollalAmO? sollavum mATTIr ;)

I'm not raising the question if I'm a vAggEyakAra or not at this juncture ;)

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

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

Post by arasi »

kvchellappa,
I thank you for helping out.Your translated chapters are very good reads, indeed.
Thanks in advance to shridharang who's continuing the work.

sridhar_ranga
Posts: 809
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 11:36

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

Post by sridhar_ranga »

This page has the image of V. Krishnaswami Iyer, referred in post #446 in KVC's beautiful translation. The other images are those of V.O. Chidambaram Pillai and the India Office building at 34, Broadway.
Image

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

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

Post by maduraimini »

kvchellappa,
After waiting for a while, it is good to see this translation by you. Dr.Nanjunda Rao must have been a special kind of person - not only helping the Swadeshi (Freedom) movement, but also helping the common people. Have heard his name, but never saw a picture of him. Thanks.
Sridhar-rang, Thanks for the pictures of Sri. VOC and Krishnaswamy Iyer and the poet's house.

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