Did you know?
Bharati is lovingly called 'Mahakavi', which means 'great poet', and also 'Bharathiyar'. He died on 11 September 1921. In 2021, Tamil Nadu declared that date 'Mahakavi Day'.
During a stay in Varanasi, Bharati learnt Sanskrit, Hindi and English. He also translated the Bhagavad Gita into Tamil.
In 1949, Bharati's poems became the first in India to be 'nationalised'. This meant that any publisher could print them, so they could reach many more readers.
Try this: Write a fearless poem
Bharati's poems are full of courage and hope. Write a four-line poem about something you would like to change in your school or neighbourhood, like keeping it clean or including everyone in games. Begin each line with 'I am not afraid to…'. Then read it aloud to your family with feeling, the way poets do!
Go further: Remembering Bharati
India remembers Bharati in many ways. In 1960, India Post issued a stamp in his honour. Bharathiar University in Coimbatore, set up in 1982, is named after him. His birthplace in Ettayapuram is now a memorial, and in 1993 the Tamil Nadu government bought and restored his house in Chennai, now called 'Bharati Illam'. If you could name a place after your favourite writer, what would it be?