A Cottage in Swami Hills- 5. Ko. Pe. Vaiyagam

A Cottage in Swami Hills *

 5. Ko Pe Vaiyagam Aiya

The person who identified the poet in me

There were people who entered my grandfather's house as clients and became close friends and Ko. Pe Vaiyagam Aiya was one of them. He was called "Vaiyapuri Pillai" by my grandfather but he chose to write his name as Vaiyagam. 

He was always dressed in immaculate white Dhoti and Jibba with a Khadi angavasthram draped over his right shoulder. He seemed ready to start a speech any time. It looked like he was in congress and got disgruntled and left the party. when he came to our house, my grandfather used to call me and involve me in discussions on Tamil poems (I was in sixth standard). This had two effects. The first effect was I learnt the names like Elango, Bharathiyar, Sekkizhar,Thiruvalluvar, their greatness and the richness of Tamil language and second it made me egoistic and proud. I felt I could say anything as far as it is on a subject related to Tamil. It made me a great debater later but it also made me a poor companion in a group. Debaters have few friends.

Ko Pe Vaiyagam Aiya was the person who asked me to write poems. it was 1962 and China had started a war with India. The country was full  of  patriotic songs and speeches. In AIR, "Pongiyezhum Bharatham" and "Veera Bharatham" were the programmes which aired songs about bravery and courage of our soldiers. Vaiyagam aiya asked me to write a poem. I told him in my usual trademark haughtiness "Poems are copied not written". My grandfather heard it and said, "Don't say it so blatantly (pattavardhanama sollathe)". I honestly think any one else should have spanked me for the arrogance. Anyway,  Vaiyagam aiya said, "Nallathu, Thambi, Let me tell you my own poem. You write a similar one." Then he got up straightened the angavasthram and sang in his baritone voice reverberating in the thinnai of our house.

சீ  சீ சீனாவே 

சூ சூ சூ  என் லாய் ..........................

The song went on with vaiyagam aiya gesturing with his hands asking China to go away from the border. (chou en lai was the Prime Minister of China at that time.).He pointed his fingers at an imaginary Chinese man and made faces at him. He grew in stature in a second and, in my mind, was capable of frightening any Chinese person who dared to enter the border. He suddenly stopped and then he asked me, "now you get it? how do the words sound to you?. Thambi, even if you write ten pages of prose, will you get the emotion and disdain for China in the minds of the listener that I created in just two lines? No, thambi, never. You can move people by poems. Sit down for half an hour and write something (Ukkanju (!!) ezhuthunga) உக்காஞ்சு எழுதுங்க !! What is not possible?" ( I said to myself வை வை வையகம்). But, I started seeing the magical effect of a poem. In one minute he converted me. In the evening, he came and gave me a Thirukkural book wit his signature "Read this book, thambi, you will see the effect.". I obeyed him immediately and started reading Thirukkural.

vaiyagam Iya spoke in rhtorical Tamil. He spoke about Bharathiyar
"பருப்புச்சுவை  மட்டும் அறிந்த பார்ப்பனன்  அல்லன் அவன்.  நெருப்புச்சுவை அறிந்த  கவிஞன்  அவன்" என்பார்.
 " பாரதியை அவர் பழமை க்கவிஞன் என்றும்  பேசுவார். ""வேதம் என்று ம் வாழ்க என்று  கொட்டு முரசே " என்று பாடினானே! " என்ற பாடலை சொல்லுவார். 
புதுமைக்கவிஞன் என்றும் பேசுவார். அப்போது  " பார்ப்பானை அய்யன் என்ற காலமும் போச்சே "  என்ற பாடலை சொல்லுவார்.

He was in an organisation called Tamil poets and writers association. (தமிழ்நாடு கலை இலக்கிய பெருமன்றம்).  They organised a speech competition on Bharathiar. It was for school students. he asked me to participate, I had no knowledge of Bharathiyar. My grandfather took out a book and started preparing the speech. I memorised it. On the day of the speech, both my grandfather and myself went to Moorthi Kalaiyarangam where the competition was being held. My name was announced and I got on to the stage. I saw the crowd in front of me and felt like fainting. I had never seen a crowd from a stage before. I could not even remember the opening lines and all my preparations came to a naught. I started speaking with no idea what I was speaking as there was so much noise. I was happy when I finished and we came home. In the evening, it started raining and we did not go for the prize distribution and I was sure that I did not stand a chance to win even consolation prize. I could feel the sense of defeat and humiliation and slept.

Next day, vaiyagam aiya was there in his resplendent Khadi dress. he was carrying a book of Bharathiyar's poems and a certificate. He said that I had won the first prize along with his daughter Mangalakalyani. She was one year older to me which made me the youngest person to win the prize. My grandfather was immensely happy. for days, I could not believe that I won the first prize. However, people in school now started calling me for delivering any speech in school functions. I also never missed an occasion to speak. I have the book with me still though I do not have the certificate. On the first page, my grandfather had written in his own handwriting 

சே ப சந்திர சேகரன் 

 முதன்மை தகுதி பரிசு
29.9.1963 

According to my grandfather, Vaiyagam aiya initially was an atheist. He got converted later to the path of worship. He used to come with his family to the Dasara Pooja at our house. He never used to enter the Pooja room but would sit in the corridor just out side and watch the pooja. He would be served prasadams and he and his family members used to have the prasadam and leave. 

He bought a lorry and on the first day, he asked my grandfather to come for the inaugural ride. His house was near Kanniah studio on the way to Potthamarai from Diamond talkies. We went in the evening and the yellow colour lorry was parked outside his house. the word Mangalakalyani was boldly written on the top of the lorry. It was thrilling to sit in the front seat in the lorry and we had a joy ride for almost an hour. 

I do write poems though I am not formally trained in the grammar. My poems are just out of a moment's inspiration and are not well crafted. But, if they have some sense of rhyme I think it is due to the Vaiyagam aiya's training.

  * Cottage in swami hills refers to the house in which we lived in Kumbakonam. This phrase was used once by my grandfather when I asked him that as some  people go in summer to Kodaikanal and Ooty where they have a cottage whether we would also be able to go and stay like them one day. My grandfather replied that he already has a cottage near swami Hills (swamimalai) and he referred to his house as the cottage.  So there was no need for him to go anywhere.