A pall of gloom descended on the world of writers when poet Elamurugu, one of the pillars of the Coimbatore Vanambadi Poetry Movement, breathed his last on Tuesday, November 24, 2020.
A pall of gloom descended on the world of writers when poet Elamurugu, one of the pillars of the Coimbatore Vanambadi Poetry Movement, breathed his last on Tuesday, November 24, 2020.
The poetry movement which defined itself as a ‘revolutionary’ organization in the early 1970s and took Tamil modern poetry to the masses had its first interactive meeting in the building of a Congress Mandram (Congress party office)!
Though the Vanambadi movement and its poetry magazine of the same title ‘ Vanambadi’ later became defunct, poet Elamurugu, one of its pillars brought out his omnibus edition of poems titled Vanambadi Elamurugu Kavithaikal late in his life in 2017. The book was produced in ‘Vanambadi Achagam'. The printing press which was named in memory of the Vanambadi poetry movement is looked after by Elamurugu’s son Manivannan in Coimbatore.
“ After Mullai Aadhavan and Palainilavan, the two younger poets of those days expressed their wish to me and my friend poet Puviarasu that we should found a movement for modern poetry, we discussed the agenda in our first meeting held in the building of a ‘Congress Mandram’ at Uppilipalayam near Singanallur. When I gave the name for the organization as 'Vanambadis' (Skylarks), my suggestion was unanimously accepted “Elamurugu once recalled.
" It is the Vanambadi movement that discovered the poet in the visually-challenged Marxian literary critic Kovai Gnani. Though the departed philosophy-loving Gnani wrote little poetry late in his life, he did write verses when he was a Vanambadi and had his book of poems published on the title Kallikai those days" informs Elamurugu in his book of poems.
“ We were also inspired by the poetry of K.C.S. Arunachalam, who is remembered for his memorable Tamil lyric Chinna Chinna Mookuthiyam in the film Paadhai Theriyuthu Paar, and Nilavu Poo, a book of poems by Sirpi Balasubramaniam, a two-time recipient of Sahitya Akademi award" remembers Elamurugu.
Jana Sundaram, another critic from the Vanambadi movement, points out in his foreword to Elamurugu’s book:
“Though Elamurugu is a modern poet, his verses take root from the poetics employed in the traditional Tamil Sangam lyrics. Also, the poet’s little knowledge in English has saved his verses from western influence”
Though the beginning of the Vanambadi Poetry Movement was simple on a day in the Coimbatore of 1970s, its magazine Vanambadi published the writings of several poets, who later scaled heights of fame in creative literature. They include poets Meera, Bala, Inquilab, Salem Tamilnadan, Abdul Rahman, Erode Tamilanban, and many more. Also, the late popular novelist Prabanchan wrote his poems in Vanambadi under his byline ‘Prabanchakavi’!
A retired Tamil teacher from Kikani Vidya Mandir Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Elamurugu was the close friend and classmate of the popular poet Puviarasu, a two-time recipient of the Sahitya Akademi award and another pillar of the Vanambadi Poetry Movement.
“ While Puviarasu and I were classmates in Thavathiru Santhalinga Adigalar Tamil College in Perur, we used to cycle to the institution every day discussing poetry,” Elamurugu remembers his bosom friend in his book.
Besides his major poems, Elamurugu’s book contains his Tamil rendering of Walt Whitman’s memorable verse 'Out of the Cradle endlessly rocking' and renowned Malayalam poet N. Kumaran Ashan’s 'Maaruthal' The front jacket of the book displays the author’s colourful image, which was drawn by ‘Cine Arts’ Jeevananthan, a city-based renowned painter and film critic, who bagged the National award for his book on Indian and world cinema Thirai Seelai’. Interestingly, Jeevananthan was Elamurugu’s student in his school days.
‘Though I studied Hindi as a second language, our school’s Tamil teacher Elamurugu encouraged me to instill the habit of reading Tamil books. While I was drawing his image after these many years, I couldn’t help conjuring up the image of our school teacher, ‘a young Elamurugu’ and me, the schoolboy! “Jeeva remembers.
The poetry movement which defined itself as a ‘revolutionary’ organization in the early 1970s and took Tamil modern poetry to the masses had its first interactive meeting in the building of a Congress Mandram (Congress party office)!
Though the Vanambadi movement and its poetry magazine of the same title ‘ Vanambadi’ later became defunct, poet Elamurugu, one of its pillars brought out his omnibus edition of poems titled Vanambadi Elamurugu Kavithaikal late in his life in 2017. The book was produced in ‘Vanambadi Achagam'. The printing press which was named in memory of the Vanambadi poetry movement is looked after by Elamurugu’s son Manivannan in Coimbatore.
“ After Mullai Aadhavan and Palainilavan, the two younger poets of those days expressed their wish to me and my friend poet Puviarasu that we should found a movement for modern poetry, we discussed the agenda in our first meeting held in the building of a ‘Congress Mandram’ at Uppilipalayam near Singanallur. When I gave the name for the organization as 'Vanambadis' (Skylarks), my suggestion was unanimously accepted “Elamurugu once recalled.
" It is the Vanambadi movement that discovered the poet in the visually-challenged Marxian literary critic Kovai Gnani. Though the departed philosophy-loving Gnani wrote little poetry late in his life, he did write verses when he was a Vanambadi and had his book of poems published on the title Kallikai those days" informs Elamurugu in his book of poems.
“ We were also inspired by the poetry of K.C.S. Arunachalam, who is remembered for his memorable Tamil lyric Chinna Chinna Mookuthiyam in the film Paadhai Theriyuthu Paar, and Nilavu Poo, a book of poems by Sirpi Balasubramaniam, a two-time recipient of Sahitya Akademi award" remembers Elamurugu.
Jana Sundaram, another critic from the Vanambadi movement, points out in his foreword to Elamurugu’s book:
“Though Elamurugu is a modern poet, his verses take root from the poetics employed in the traditional Tamil Sangam lyrics. Also, the poet’s little knowledge in English has saved his verses from western influence”
Though the beginning of the Vanambadi Poetry Movement was simple on a day in the Coimbatore of 1970s, its magazine Vanambadi published the writings of several poets, who later scaled heights of fame in creative literature. They include poets Meera, Bala, Inquilab, Salem Tamilnadan, Abdul Rahman, Erode Tamilanban, and many more. Also, the late popular novelist Prabanchan wrote his poems in Vanambadi under his byline ‘Prabanchakavi’!
A retired Tamil teacher from Kikani Vidya Mandir Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Elamurugu was the close friend and classmate of the popular poet Puviarasu, a two-time recipient of the Sahitya Akademi award and another pillar of the Vanambadi Poetry Movement.
“ While Puviarasu and I were classmates in Thavathiru Santhalinga Adigalar Tamil College in Perur, we used to cycle to the institution every day discussing poetry,” Elamurugu remembers his bosom friend in his book.
Besides his major poems, Elamurugu’s book contains his Tamil rendering of Walt Whitman’s memorable verse 'Out of the Cradle endlessly rocking' and renowned Malayalam poet N. Kumaran Ashan’s 'Maaruthal' The front jacket of the book displays the author’s colourful image, which was drawn by ‘Cine Arts’ Jeevananthan, a city-based renowned painter and film critic, who bagged the National award for his book on Indian and world cinema Thirai Seelai’. Interestingly, Jeevananthan was Elamurugu’s student in his school days.
‘Though I studied Hindi as a second language, our school’s Tamil teacher Elamurugu encouraged me to instill the habit of reading Tamil books. While I was drawing his image after these many years, I couldn’t help conjuring up the image of our school teacher, ‘a young Elamurugu’ and me, the schoolboy! “Jeeva remembers.