Ku. Azhagirisamy

Ku. Azhagirisamy

Ku. Azhagirisamy-Seethalakshmi

Ku. Azhagirisamy-1

Ku. Azhagirisamy-2

Ku. Azhagirisamy-handwriting

Ku. Azhagirisamy

Ku. Azhagirisamy-familu

Ku. Azhagirisamy - memories

இந்தப் பக்கத்தை தமிழில் வாசிக்க: கு. அழகிரிசாமி ‎

Ku. Azhagirisamy (23 September 1923 – 5 July 1970) is a Tamil writer. He is known for his excellence in short stories. He is also known for being a publisher, research scholar on music and folklore.

Birth & Education

Born as the first son in a family in the outskirts of Tirunelveli (Idaicheval near Kovilpatti) on 23 September 1923, and his parents are Gurusamy and Thayammal. He belongs to the Telugu speaking Goldsmith community. Tamil literature’s icon Ki. Rajanarayanan and Ku. Azhagirisamy lived in the same streets of Idaiseval. Both were friends from their adolescence (Idaicheval is the only village in Tamil Nadu which has the privilege to have two Sahithya Akademi awardees).

Azhagirisamy’s family didn’t have a tradition to send kids to school. They were sent to train in the relevant profession at a young age. But, when Azhagirisamy was a toddler, he met with an accident when he was playing on a bullock cart and the cartwheel fell on his hand. His hand has become numb from performing any professional activities. He was sent to school due to this challenge. He has completed his high school with a wide variety of help received all through the years. He is the only one to finish high school in Idaicheval during his time.

Personal Life

Ku. Azhagirisamy joined as an elementary school teacher in the government aided Panchayat Board in the suburbs of Kovilpatti. He then got another job offer to join as writer in sub-registrar office. The job offered 35 Indian rupees and it was highly regarded for the job for that time. But he couldn’t focus on the job, rather while on the job he was writing stories. Ananthabodhini’s editor-in-chief Narana Duraikannan has asked him to come to Chennai. Azhagirisamy has gone to Chennai to take up the job offered, but I couldn’t survive due to the income trend for the writers. He had gone back to Kovilpatti and continued writer's job in the Sub-Registrar office. But he couldn’t continue long as he wasn’t loving the job. He resigned the job again and joined Anandha Bodhini in Chennai.

In 1952, he went and assumed the role of editor-in-chief for Thamizh Nesan coming from Malaysia. While he was staging musical plays in Malaysia during 1955, he fell in love with Seethalakshmi who had deep interest in music and acting. She is the daughter of Harihara Iyer who is hailing from Thiruchendur and specializes in harmonium. Harihara Iyer migrated with family to Malaysia when Seethalakshmi was a toddler. After the demise of Harihara Iyer, Seethalakshmi stayed in Malaysia and continued to learn and contribute to music. In spite of all the challenges raised by relatives, she married Ku. Azhagirisamy in Pentong Sivasubramaniar temple.

Ku. Azhagirisamy returned to Tamil Nadu in 1957 with his wife and son. He continued as a translator in Gandhi Book Publishing society for 3 years. In 1960, he joined as co-editor in Navasakthi magazine. He then resigned the Navasakthi job in 1965 and was working as an independent writer until his demise in 1970.

Azhagirisamy had 4 kids, namely, Ramachandran, Radha, Sarangarajan and Bharathi. After the demise of Azhagirisamy, Seethalakshmi has continued her education (she was discontinued from 6th standard) with her daughter, finished her exams and joined as an employee in Tamil Nadu Housing Board to give education to the 4 kids. Azhagirisamy’s friend V. S. Subbiah was instrumental in getting the job for Seethalakshmi. Their elder son Ramachandran is a retired bank manager, elder daughter Radha is working in Information Technology, younger son Saranganathan is working as a cinematographer and younger daughter Bharathi is working as a psychologist.

Life as Publisher

Azhagirisamy joined Anandhabodhini in 1944, quit for a couple months and then joined back. Until 1952 he worked as a support editor in Anandha Bodhini, Prasanda Vikatan, Thamizh Mani and Sakthi magazines. During this period, in his letter to his friend Ki. Rajanarayanan, he mentions about not reaching 125 Indian Rupee as a salary in 8 years and he was not well known in the public space because he hasn’t written anything that loved to write. He went to Malaysia in 1952 to assume the job of Editor-In-Chief for Thamizh Nesan magazine. From then his financially declined lifestyle has faded away. He has enriched the Malaysian literature landscape during his period between 1952 and 1957. His article in 1957 to support the privileges of Malaysian Tamils was criticized by the government and Thamizh Nesan management has expelled him from the magazine.

He came back to India in 1960 and joined as Support Editor in Navasakthi magazine. He then resigned from that post in 1965. He then got into the job as editor-in-chief of Soviet Land magazine with the recommendation of Tho. Mu. Si. Raghunathan. But he was able to continue for 3 months, during which he was bed ridden with sickness and has died.

Ku. Azhagirisamy Letters

கு.அழகிரிசாமி-

Work in Music

Ku. Azhagirsamy had interest & practiced the traditional music. The famous nadaswaram artist Karukurichi Arunachalam had visited his place more often and Ku. Azhagirsamy has always been there to enjoy the music. He was in touch with the musician Vilathikulam Swamygal to hear his vocals. His letters show his interest towards writing musicals in Tamil & collecting the rare musicals. During his stay in Malaysia he has staged musical dramas such as Valli Bharatham, Mukkudarpallu written by Namachivaya Pulavar.

Literature Life

Itham Thandha Varigal

His first story, Urakkam Kolluma was published in Anandha Bodhini during 1942. After he joined the publisher’s world, he has written lots of stories in pseudo names.

Translations

During 1950, he translated Maxim Gorky’s In America (Amerikavile), Days with Lenin (Leninudan Sila Naatkal) due to his deep interest in Russian literature. He then translated No War (Yudham Vendam), If Enemy doesn’t surrender (Virodhi Paniyavittal) by Maxim Gorky into Tamil during his period in Gandhi Book Publishing Society. He translated a lot of stories under the name of Stories from other countries. He has translated books into Tamil such as Lawrence Banayan’s Akbar, President Rajendra Prasad’s Indian Harmony.

Work as Publisher

Azhagirisamy had an interest in publishing ancient small literature works and traditional folklore. He has expressed this wish in his letters to Ki. Rajanarayanan. Sakthi Kariyalam has published his enriched work of Kavadichinthu written by Annamalai Reddiyar. Written Kamba Ramayanam's five sections with his notes. He has also mentioned about integrating the works of under-represented poets such as Aandan Kavirayar.

Stage Plays

He had continued interest in stage plays. He has written the stage play Kavichakravarthi Kambar was staged by V.S. Sahasranamam group.

Fictional Work

Sakthi Kariyalayam has published a book called “Ku. Azhagirisamyin Kathaigal in 1952. He has continued to write novels in magazines. After adopting a full time writer profession, his novel got released in Sudesa Mithiran and Kalki as chapters. Best of his short stories were written during the period of 1960 and 1965 in Navasakthi magazine. He had good friendships with popular writer friends such as Tho. Mu. Si. Raghunathan, Puthumaipiththan, Jayakanthan, Vallikannan.

Letter Literature

Ku. Azhagirisamy and Ki. Rajanarayanan had a profound interest in T. K. Chidharambaranatha Mudaliar’s work. They followed his style of letters. It has a special mention in the world of Tamil Letter Literature. Ku. Azhagirisamy’s letters to Ki. Rajanarayanan and Sundara Ramasamy (Itham Thandha Varigal) has been published as a collection digest.

Literature Work in Malaysia

Ku. Azhagirisamy

The period between 1952 and 1957 is known as glorious periods of Malaysian Tamil Literature while Ku. Azhagirisamy was working in Thamizh Nesan. Before him there were elementary level or political works written. He published modern poems in Thamizh Nesan. Identified budding writers and introduced & encouraged them. Conducted monthly literary meet-ups between writers and readers. Writers such as Kamalanathan, Durairaj have followed his footprints and created their work in Malaysia.

Malaysia felt his depth of work after he had left Malaysia. In 1983, his collection of stories was published as "Ku. Azhagirisamy Kathaigal" in Malaysia. Malaysian minister Datho Samynathan has presided over the major book release event and Ku. Azhagirisamy’s wife Seethalakshmi has released the first copy. Both of his stage plays were kept in the Malaysian educational curriculum. He is considered to be the pioneer of Malaysian literature.

Awards

Post his demise, he got Sahithya Akademi award in 1970 for his short story collection called Anbalippu.

Death

He died due to spinal cancer on 5th July 1970.

Memories & Biography

• Ku. Azhagirisamy – Veli Rangarajan (Inthia Ilakkiya Sirpigal Varisai)
• Ku. Azhagirisamy – Ninaivodai (Sunthara Ramsamy)

Place in Literature

Ku. Azhagirisamy is remembered for his excellence in writing short stories. Critics suggest that Ku. Azhagirsamy is the next to Puthumaipithan in representing the normalcy lifestyle in his stories. His stories are direct, transparent and progressively handled through simple conversations. He hasn’t injected experimental writing in his works. His stories were straight rather than metaphorically articulated. Most of his stories told the life in raw and didn’t get into the traditional story structure. Psychological empathy was always the undercurrent of his stories. He touched the depth in the complexities of relationships. They were considered to be the masterpieces of Tamil Literature.

Books

Novels

• Doctor Anuradha
• Theeradha Vilaiyattu
• Puthu Veedu Puthu Ulagam
• Vaazhkai Pathai
• Siruvar Ilakkiyam
• Moonru Pillaigal
• Kaalivaram

Translations

• Dharma ratchakan (1950) (Gustav Plaughbert Novel Julius)
• Maxim Gorky’s books
• Leninudan Sila Naatkal
• Amerikavile
• Yutham Vendum
• Virothi
• Paniyaavittal
• Palanaatu Sirukathaigal (1962, Thamizh Puthagalayam)

Stage Plays

• Vanja Magal
• Kavi Chakravarthy

Short Story Collection

• Anbalippu
• Sirikkavillai
• Thavappayan
• Varaprasadam
• Kaviyum Kathalum
• Sevisaaykka Oruvan
• Puthiya Roja
• Thuravu

Non-Fiction

• Ilakkiya then
• Thamizh Thandha Kaviyinbam
• Thamizh Thandha Kavichelvam
• Naan Kanda Ezhuthalargal

Letter Literature

• Ku. Azhagirisamiyin Kadithangal
• Itham Thandha Varigal

References

• https://solvanam.com/author/kalagirisamy/
• https://www.hindutamil.in/news/blogs/214170-10-2.html
• https://uyirmmai.com/literature/literary-analysis/review-on-ku-azhakirisami-works-by-kalyana-raman/
• https://tamizhini.in/2022/01/30/கு.அழகிரிசாமி/
• https://www.jeyamohan.in/9207/
• https://www.hindutamil.in/news/opinion/columns/671460-ku-azhagirisamy.html
• Ku. Azhagirisamy Charu Nivedita
• Ku. Azhagirisamy in Malaya - Balabhaskaran

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