Patriot remembered: when he was the main minister from 2006 to 2011, M. Karunanidhi announced a sanction for 40 GBP Lakh for the SIVA memorial of 205 square meters in paparapatti. In August 2010, the Minister of Information Parithi Ilamvazhuthi laid the Foundation. In July 2011, the main minister Jayalithaa declared an open memorial. | Photo Credit: N. Bashkaran
The dream come true: In June 2018, the AIADMK government announced the construction of the Temple of Bharatha Math. In August 2021 it was opened in the middle of the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic. | Photo Credit: N. Bashkaran
In the later years of his life, the veteran of Kumari Ananthan (1933-2025), who recently died, has made a project emphatically: Bharath Math temple in the far corner of the Dharmapuri Return.
In fact, it only followed what two congress stops started: former president of the All India CR Das (1870-1925) Congress Committee, greatly called Deshbandhu and Subramania Siva (1884-1925). Coincidentally, this year he imagines the 100th anniversary of the death of both leaders: Das died on June 16 and Siva 23rd July. Siva, also known as Sivam, was one of the triumviral of Svoboda Tamil over; The others were chidambarama (VOC) (1872-1936) and Subramania Bharati (1882-1921). In addition to being a powerful speaker, he was a writer-girlfriend. This great Tamil lover quoted from Thirukkural to illustrate the “Tyranian government” of the British, which landed in prison.
Das puts the foundation
Two years before his death, Das laid the foundation for the temple in Paparapatti in Pennagaram Taluk, about 25 km from Dharmapuri. According to a report published in Hindu 26 June 1923, Paparapatti reached at 11 pm from Bangalore, where he was a guest of Adinarayana Chettiar. “The scene was unforgettable there. The whole village and approaches were beautifully decorated and sounded … People gathered in tens of thousands, almost half of the number are women,” says the report.
The report also says that Chinnamuth Mudaliar, chairman of the Taluk Council in Dharmapuri, then part of the Salem district, donated the temple ground. He also announced that the 501 GBP handbag, on behalf of the “People of Paparapatty”, will be introduced DAS. Former President AICc made a “short but eloquent” address that Siva translated into Tamil. In his speech Das, who later visited the House of Mudaliar, he stressed that “different activities of the nation” – social and political – were “different manifestations” of the same impulse and had “but one goal”.
Although Siva was born in Batlagund (Vathalagund in Tamil), now part of the Dindigul district, he spent recent years in Paparapatti. Until then, he suffered from the leprosy he closed when a prison served during the British Raj. Siva became the first patriot in the Madras Presidency (including many parts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Odisha), which were found guilty and imprisoned for accusation of staying in the king of Emperor vs Subramania Siva and Chidambaram Pillai.
The case was given in connection with four public manifestations of SIVA in thoothuku (then tuticorin) on 23, 25 and 26 March 1908, so that the release of Bipin Chandra Pal (1858-1932), bearer in Bengal. In March 1907, Bengal was charged with a court for contempt and awarded a six -month imprisonment. VOC was charged with the organization of these events, although he did not participate in any way. Siva received a sentence of 10 years of transport and VOC was awarded to life. The seriousness of the punishment attracted not only extensive convictions from many leaders, but also caused a wave of riots and violence in the undivided district of Tirunelvel, which included today’s districts of thoothuku and thin. Due to the different factors, the collector of Tirunelvel Robert William d’Eskourt Ashe was murdered by Vanchinathan at the MANIYACHI railway junction three years later.
After the release, the Siva movement was limited due to its illness and the provisions of the British authorities. Yet he managed to achieve paparapatti, where Mudaliar supported him. Siva wanted the temple to come for his life. It wasn’t supposed to be. For more than 75 years, the project was based on public discourse. During the second half of the DMK reign (2006-11), he returned to the prominence before the Pennagaram constituency in March 2010. The Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi announced a penalty of 40 Lakh in 205 square meters for SIVA at 85 centers in Paparapatti. In August 2010, the Minister of Information Parithi laid the ILAMVAZHUTHI Foundation and in July 2011 the main Minister Jayalithaa declared an open memorial.
Demand renewed
At that time, the demand for the construction of the Temple of Bharatha Math was restored. In October 2012, on the occasion of the 129th anniversary of the birth of SIV, collector R. Lilly announced that the temple would soon appear. Kumari Ananthan began to increase the demand on various forums, including the Madras High Court. In October 2017 he even started “Padayatra”. When he wanted to observe the fasting at the SIVA Memorial, he was removed from there and took Dharmapuri because of his age. Then he was 84. Although at first he wanted the government to build a temple or let others build it, build it to take over the project when the RSS associated Akhila Bharatiya Sanyasigal Sangam created Subramniya Siva Bharat Ashram Trust. In June 2018, the AIADMK government led by Edapppads K. Palaniswami announced that the temple would be built at estimated costs of 1.5 Crore. In August 2021, Bharatha Matha Ninaivaayam, equipped with a library, a low key inauguration in the middle of the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic, and the Saminathan information deputy declared it open. It took more than 95 years to fulfill the wishes of DAS and SIVA.
Published – May 6, 2025 22:09
