Poet laureate Kannadasan transcends generations

Malaysiakini

29-06-2025

LETTER | I had an unforgettable experience at the Kannadasan Festival on Sunday noon, held at the Chettiar's Hall, Kuala Lumpur.
It was a true Tamil elixir, where hundreds of enthusiasts and literature lovers were immersed in poet laureate Kannadasan's timeless literary treasures.
The annual event was organised by M Saravanan, the Malaysia Kannadasan Foundation chairperson, Tapah MP, and MIC national deputy president.
Renowned Tamil Nadu orators Thamal K Saravanan and Indra Vijayalakshmi delivered speeches at this free-admission event.
Kannadasan's verses explored emotions with intimacy, depth, and literary flair.
Kannadasan's poeticism captured the very essence of life and death and everything in between, making his songs immortal and proving his verses right.
I am permanent and have no destruction and death cannot touch me under any circumstances, wrote poet laureate Kannadasan.
History will remember him for his prolific and poignant work.
Kannadasan's work gave prominence to songs in Tamil cinema. His songs have enlightened and empowered successive generations like no one before or after him.
Kannadasan is a Tamil poet laureate, lyricist, writer, film producer and a philosopher. He has written over 5,000 songs and has also written 232 books, in prose and poetry, about various religions.
First, Kannadasan wrote Tamil in such a simple and spoken style, easily understood by the common man. He conveyed very deep meaning in a plain and simple style.
Whether it was MS Viswanathan, KV Mahadevan or llayaraja, Kannadasan had remained the go-to man with a flow of words that magically fit into the varied tunes the maestros had churned out.
He wrote songs for films starring MGR and Sivaji Ganesan, showcasing his versatility and ability to adapt to different genres and themes.
The legendary lyricist Kannadasan left a legacy that nobody could match even to date. Kannadasan and music composer MS Visvanathan worked on an array of mellifluous songs that will be remembered by the audience forever.
An important contribution he has made to the Hindu society is his book 'Arthamulla Hindu Madham', which explains the significant foundation on which the foundation of the Hindu philosophy is based.
Saravanan has contributed to and championed the popularity of the Tamil language and literature through various modes on the basis of his deep knowledge of literature.
At the event, there were poetry recitals, literary speeches by prominent speakers Thaamal Saravanan and Indra Vijayalakshmi and recognition for locals actively working in the area of Tamil literature.
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