Sivakavimani C.K.Subramania Mudaliar (1878 - 1961) was a lawyer, writer, freedom fighter, social leader and above all a beacon light of Saiva Siddhantam in this part of the country. He lived in Vysial Street with his family and the house built by his father Kandaswamy Mudaliar nearly 130 years ago continues to be maintained in its original form. The trees planted by C.K.Subramania Mudaliar (CKS) and V.O.Chidambaram Pillai (Kappalottiya Tamilan) in the year 1912 stand as the guardians of the ethos that was represented by him. The Municipality recognised the contribution of CKS by naming a road after him at R.S.Puram.
Sivakavimani C.K.Subramania Mudaliar (1878 - 1961) was a lawyer, writer, freedom fighter, social leader and above all a beacon light of Saiva Siddhantam in this part of the country. He lived in Vysial Street with his family and the house built by his father Kandaswamy Mudaliar nearly 130 years ago continues to be maintained in its original form. The trees planted by C.K.Subramania Mudaliar (CKS) and V.O.Chidambaram Pillai (Kappalottiya Tamilan) in the year 1912 stand as the guardians of the ethos that was represented by him. The Municipality recognised the contribution of CKS by naming a road after him at R.S.Puram.
CKS wrote a number of books during his long tenure on this planet, however the treatise on Periya Puranam was stands really tall amongst his contributions. Periya Puranam or Thiruthondar Puranam was written by Sekkilar in the twelfth century and the book was presented to Lord Nataraja in Chidambaram. It was said that Kulottunga Chola (1135 - 1150) sat in reverence next to Sekkilar and fanned him while the epic was presented to the public. The book shares details about the stories of the 63 Nayanmars who happened to be great devotees of Lord Shiva. Sivakavimani CKS has made Coimbatore greater by doing a treatise on this marvellous Tamil work.
The treatise on Periya Puranam was submitted in the presence of Lord Nataraja in Chidambaram by Sivakavimani C.K.Subramania along with his wife Meenakshi Ammal on the 12th of July 1948. CKS had never thought that he would be writing this 'magnum opus' even while he used to undertake tours to collect information on Saiva Siddhanta at around 1930. However he had faithfully accumulated the information required over a period of 20 to 25 years. His leanings towards Periya Puranam was mainly due to the role of his teacher Sa. Thiruchitrambalam Pillai. Once Saravanapillai of Salem had come to stay with Thiruchitrambalam Pillai and delivered a lecture on Kamba Ramayanam. It was at this moment that Thiruchitrambalam Pillai had told CKS that the songs in the Periya Puranam had greater connotations.
The teacher had stated that a lot of practises like the placement of plantain leaves while serving lunch was were deftly included in the work by Sekkilar. However the path breaking oppourtunity presented itself in the year 1918 when Chennai Sadasivam Chettiar B.A stayed in Coimbatore and delivered a series of lectures on the Periya Puranam over a period of 4 years. Sadasivam Chettiar was an expert in English, Sanskrit and Tamil. He had mastered everything concerned with Saiva Siddhantam and used to offer prayers to Lord Shiva in a marvellous manner. CKS used to help Sadasivam Chettiar during the lectures and had also made extensive notes during the lectures on a day to day basis. He had in fact not envisaged the project at that time.
CKS decided to write a treatise on Periya Puranam only by around 1931-32. He had found it interesting to listen to M.Kathiresan Chettiar and N.M.Venkataswamy Nattar while they had lectured on the subject. CKS began his work on Periya Puranam and printed parts of his work by the year 1934. The first release of a portion of the work was done in the Ayiramkal Mandapam at Chidambaram. This portion was followed by a few more but the second world war came in the way of this publication for it had caused paper shortage. The work had to pause for sometime due to the shortage of paper. Rs.1,000 was promised by the Chennai Sarvakalasalai and a part of the money came in as the first instalment. A number of Saivaite Pontificates came forward to help CKS during those difficult years.
The helpful pontiffs included Srilasri Shanmugha Desika Paramachariar of Dharumapura Adheenam, Thiruvaduthurai Amabalavana Srilasri Ambalavana Desika Paramachariar contributed Rs.1,000, Thiruppanandhal Kasimadam Ejaman Srimad Arunandi Thambira Swamigal (Rs.3,000), Annamalai University gave a sum of Rs.1,000 and this was due to the efforts of Dr.R.K.Shanmukham Chetty. The other pontiffs and the general public helped CKS. Those were times when printing was expensive and also took a lot of time. However CKS was resolute and got it done for he thought that this big multi volume Periya Puranam running into thousands of pages was the purpose of his life. A number of the friends of CKS wanted to hasten the publication for they wanted to enjoy the reading during the healthy period of their lives.
On the completion of the Thirunavukkarsau Nayanar Puranam the release was done in the presence of Dharumapuram Srilasri Shanmugha Desika Paramachariar. The Thirugnanasambandar Puranam part of this magnum opus was submitted on the occasion of the birth star of the Saint at Thirunallurperumanapadh (Achalpuram).
The treatise of Periya Puranam was successfully written and completed by Sivakavimani C.K.Subramania Mudaliar in the year 1948 and he placed the completed hand written work on the lotus feet of Lord Nataraja at Chidambaram on the twelfth of July 1948 (12/07/1948). The printing of the treatise on Periya Puranam was complete by the year 1953 and CKS was had become 75 years old by then. The work had taken about two decades. A Reception Committee was formed under to Presidentship of Diwan Bahadur C.S.Rathinasabapathy Mudaliar with Kovai Kizhar C.M.Ramachandran Chettiar and M.S.Palaniappa Mudaliar as members.
Thanks to efforts of A.S.Ganapathy Pillai, the printed work was placed at 'Ponnambalam', the shrine of Lord Nataraja. The treatise on Periya Puranam was placed on an elephant and taken around Chidambaram and the town had been decorated with festoons on the occasion. C.K.Subramania Mudaliar gave a special lecture at the Ayiramkaal Mandapam for two days. The submission was done on Chithirai Thiruvadhirai. The ceremony began with prayers at Thiruvalanchuzhi and Swamimalai in the May of 1953. The preparations for the visit was done by Sivasenathipathy P.T.S.Kumaraswamy Chettiar. Devakottai Meiyyappa Chettiar took part in the proceedings.
Thiruvenkadu T.P.Subramania Pillai played Nadaswaram on the occasion. Food was provided to over 1200 people for the two days and the function was presided over by the younger pontiff of Madurai Thirugnanasambandaradheenam Srilasri Somasundara Paramachariar. Representatives from a number of pontificates came with expensive clothes, gifts and prasadams to Chidambaram. The Chennai Sarvakalasalai people were represented by Diwan Bahadur T.M.Narayanaswamy Pillai M.A., B.L., M.L.C and he read out the congragulatory note sent by Dr.A.Lakshmanaswamy Mudaliar while handing over Rs.1000 on their behalf. Devakottai Meiyyappa Chettiar presented a copy of the treatise wrapped in gold and it wieghed about 10 sovereigns of gold. Sirkazhi Mirasdar Ramanatha Mudaliar gave a gift of Rs.100 alongwith a lovely gold medallion and Mirasdar M.T.Kulandaivel Mudaliar gave a silver lamp.
Anaimalai Mirasdar S.Venkatachala Mudaliar and Mirasdar B.Muthukumaraswamy Mudaliar presented CKS with expensive silk garments. More than 100 congragulatory messages had poured in and due to paucity of time only the names were read out. Felicitations were done by T.P.Meenakshisundaram Pillai and Dr. A. Chidambaranatha Chettiar. The treatise was submitted at the Thiruvarur Temple for Sundaramurthy Nayanar had written the 'Thiruthondarthugai' from this holy centre and that was basis for the 'Periya Puranam'. It was also presented in Perur and in Thensithoor. The Santhalinga Adigalar Madam presented a silver plate to CKS on the occasion.
Meenakshi Ammal, the spouse of CKS had been greatly supportive of his efforts all her life and particularly the work connected with Periya Puranam. She passed away in the year 1956 and CKS attached the gold medallion that had been recieved by him along with her 'Thirumangalya Saradu' and presented it to Goddess Sivakamasundari in Perur. Thereafter he sold her ornaments, raised Rs.4,000 and created an endowment at the Perur Pachainayagi Sannidhi for offering one measure of cooked rice everyday and providing the same to the pilgrims visiting the Perur Patteeswarar Temple.
The treatise on 'Periya Puranam' is now being printed and published regularly by his grandson C.K.Sivasubramanian from 'Sekkilar Nilayam' in Vysial Street. The honest Sivakavimani C.K.Subramania Mudaliar and his noble work connected with our country, Coimbatore city, the Perur Temple and his treatise on Periya Puranam will stand in the memories of patriotic Indians for ever.