Set within geometric frames and a range of kaleidoscopic colors, artist Biswajit Balasubramanian's contemporary renderings capture the essence of the Poets of the South. Devoid of facial features, these portraits highlight a few lineaments that identify the characters and open up the canvas of our imagination while paying homage to the poets and their soulful compositions that are eternal and not bound by time.
Avvaiyar stands testimony to the fact that women of ancient times were highly educated and prominent in the field of literature. Opinions point to more than one "Avvaiyar" during different periods of Tamil Literature. 59 poems of Purananuru is attributed to Avvaiyar of the Sangam period; a close associate of King Adhiyaman. Avvaiyar of the 10th century and Kambar's contemporary was the author of Atthichudi, Konraiventhan, Moothurai and Nalvali.All the four works are enriched with moral values and remain the very first exposure to Tamil literauture for children in the schools of Tamil Nadu.
Fondly known as Bharathiyar, Subramaniya Bharathi was as Tamil Poet and journalist known for his poetic genius, fiercely patriotic spirit and passion towards Tamil. Having translated the Bhagvat Gita into Tamil, he also created unparalleled pieces of literature like Kannan Pattu, Kuyil Paatu and Panchali Sabatham. He was the court Poet of the Ettyampuram king and much later, the editor of many revolutionary magazines like Swadesimitran and Karma Yogi. Through his awe-inspiring songs, he envisaged a new, empowered woman of the future, terming her as a "Pudhumai Penn" (New Age Woman).
Constantine Joseph Beschi was an Italian Jesuit priest and Tamil classical scholar who overcame linguistic barriers to master the ancient language of Tamil. A grammarian, poet and more, he composed grammar for the common usage of Tamil, compiled several Tamil dictionaries including Chatura Akarathi.He also compiled a Tamil-Latin and Latin - Tamil- Portuguese dictionary. His greatest poetical work is the Thembavani (Unfading Garland), an extraordinary epic poem of 3615 stanzas on the life of St.Joseph - a classic in Tamil literature.
Well versed in the rich, ancient languages of Sanskrit and Tamil, Kambar was a renowned Tamil poet revered for his rendition of the Ramayana in Tamil. Best known for his Ramavataram or Kambaramayanam, he authored other literary works such as Thirukkai Vazhakkam, Silaiezhupathu and Sarasvati Anthati. The Chola King honoured him with the title "The Emperor of Poetry" or "Kavi Chakravarty". Laid to rest in his hometown, the locals worsjip him as the God of Wisdom and seek his blessings of knowledge particularly for newborns and children.
Kanagasabai Subburathinam, one of the greatest 20th century Tamil poets and rationalists called himself "Bharathidasan" - a devotee of Bharathiyar. Bharathidasan actively participated in the Indian freedom struggle and was imprisoned for voicing dissent against colonialism. He pledged life-long loyalty to the Dravida Movement, Self- Respect Movement and other revolutionary movements that fought against the crippling confines of religion, caste and patriarchy. He remained a prolific writer penning an abundance of poetry, film scripts, short stories and essays.
Frequently called Kaviarasu (King of Poets), Kannadasan was a celebrated poet, lyricist and a prolific writer penning around 5000 film lyrics apart from 6000 peoms and 232 books that included novels, epics, plays and essays. "Arthamulla Indhumatham", a 10-part religious essay on Hinduism was his most popular work. He won the Sahitya Akademi Award for his novel" Cheraman Kadali" and was the first to receive the National Film Award for Best Lyrics in 1969. He was a staunch follower of the Dravidian Aesthetic Movement.
Eminent poet Desigavinayagam Pillai occupies a special place in the annals of 20th century Tamil literature. His poems are marked by nobility of intent and simplicity of language. Asiya Jothi, Nanjil Nattu Marumakkal Vazhi Manmiyam and the translation of the work of Omar Khayyam are his masterpieces. He also translated the work of selected English Authors to Tamil. In 1940, the Tamil Sangam at its 7th annual conference held at Chennai, honoured Desigavinayagam Pillai with the title "Kavimani". Even today his writings are a part of the curriculum in Tamil Schools and colleges.
Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram is a wellknown poet and lyricist of the 1950s; very popular before the start of the Kannadasan era. He has penned some of the most philosophytinged, upbeat lyrics for M.G.Ramachandran's successful movies. He first received the offer to compose lyrics for Tamil movies while working at Kuyil - a magazine run by Bharathidasan. Released in 1956,"Paditha Penn" - the first movie her wrote songs for, started his illustrious career as a song writer. He wrote around 250 songs of which many are still much-loved and honored in the cinematic and literary circles of Tamil Nadu.
Thiruthakka Devar is a Tamil Jain ascetic and poet. His famous work "Civaga Cintamani" or the "Fabulous Gem" is one of the five great epics of Tamil Literature. Considered the most important work of Tamil Jain Literature, it has been much admired for its poetic form, appealing storyline and theological message. It is believed that Thiruthakka Thevar composed the epic in response to some poets' jibes that being a monk, he would know nothing of worldy pleasures. Muchappreciated in the Chola court, Civaga Cinthamani is reputed to be the model for Kambhar's Ramayana.
Thiruvalluvar, a profound thinker and a man of sublime wisdom is the celebrated poet of the Thirukkural - one of the greatest pieces of literature of all times. Written in a unique style, the Thirukkural contains some of the greatest philosophies of life and translates into "Sacred Couplets" consisting of 133 chapters of 10 couplets each; dealing with the concepts of virtue, wealth and love. Ancient Tamil Poets and the Kings of the Chera, Chola and Pandya dynasties acknowledged the erudite magnitude of the Thirukkural. A 133 foot statue of the poet erected Kanyakumari stands in his honour.