National poet's death anniversary declared as 'Mahakavi' Day in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu government would commemorate the death anniversary of firebrand poet and freedom fighter Subramania Bharati on September 11 as 'Mahakavi' Day. Listing out plans to observe the 100th death anniversary of the poet whose works ignited patriotism and left an indelible mark on Tamil literature, Chief Minister of the State M K Stalin said weekly events would be held at the Bharathiyar Memorial House here for the next one year to mark the centenary.

"September 11, the death anniversary of Mahakavi Bharati, will be observed annually as 'Mahakavi Day' on behalf of the Government. A State-level poetry competition will be conducted for school and college students and the 'Bharati young poet Award'' with a purse of Rs one lakh will be given," the Chief Minister said in a statement here.

A compilation of Bharati's poems and essays would be brought out in a book titled "Manathil Urithi Vendum" (Firmness in Mind) at a cost of Rs 10 crore and be distributed to 37 lakh school students, he said. A separate wing 'Bharathiyal' would be set up to compile the books of Bharathiyar and his research work copies of which would be available at his memorials at Ettayapuram in Tuticorin district, where the poet was born, and at Triplicane as well as in the Anna Centenary Library in Chennai and in Madurai. Events with the theme 'parengum Bharati' (Bharati everywhere), in collaboration with the World Tamil Associations, would be organised, he said. The Chief Minister further said a concert 'Bharati on Screen' showing only Bharati's songs featured in the movies would be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here after the coronavirus pandemic recedes.


Apart from setting up a chair in the poet's name at Trichy Bharathidasan University, financial assistance would be provided to maintain the house in Kashi, Uttar Pradesh, where he lived. "The Women Livelihood Mission, to be implemented by the rural development department, will be named after Bharatiyar who advocated women's development," the Chief Minister said.