Unlike other mess, it has an identity of its own, for tastes, food hygiene, and surroundings. Located on Bharathi Salai, Triplicane, Bharathi Mess, has a sacred shine dedicated to poet-social reformer with a portrait of a pioneer of modern Tamil poetry.
Started in 2012 by siblings, S. Kannan, and S. Saravanan, poet Subramaniya Bharathi was an inspiration to Kannan. Such was his devotion, Mr. Kannan released an audio CD on life history of the revolutionary poet.
“My second project will be a ‘Research Book’, in a digitised mode, on Bharathi. The book will have details of information from other books. At present, the mess requests the people to donate rare books, and journals on Bharathi,” Mr. Kannan said.
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When the French ceded Pondicherry to India, we lost rare books on poet, and copies of his journals, were taken by the French. The Government has not taken any steps to bring them back, he pointed out.
Chini Vishwanathan, who has written 30 to 40 novels on Bharathityar, can recount the poet’s works in accordance with years. He and Vishwanathan Iyer, Bharathiyar’s young brother, were good friends. But, many works of Bharathi are traceable yet. No steps has been taken by the government in this regard, he added.
The mess has books on Bharathi written by research Scholars, is available for doctoral students for research. Another notable thing, the mess has portraits of Bharthiyar with information, and songs of poet played continuously.
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The mess, to promote awareness about Bharathi, sells the poet literary poems, at a reasonable price.
Apart from, the mess to promote reading habit, keeps knowledgeable journals in a glass box below the shrine, and asks for people, benefitted by reading, to donate journals, and books in every languages.
More than 500 people have breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the mess. The mess, kown for its policy not to use Ajinomoto, baking soda, and hygienic cooking attracts MLAs, Ministers, and people from Egmore, and other areas. For details, contact S. Kannan at 9790099732.