When the greatest of modern Tamil poets, G. Subramania Bharati, was penning an article in 1916 for a Tamil newspaper, he would have little imagined about its impact a century down the line on the Tamil literary world.
In his article titled Japanea Kavidai dated October 16, 1916, published in the Swadesamitran newspaper, he introduced two Japanese haiku by translating it into Tamil, which set in motion a new phase in the Tamil literary world of Puducherry.
It was in this cosmopolitan coastal town that haiku in Tamil first set its foot, inspiring a strong haiku literary movement in Puducherry. The two 17-syllable Japanese haiku published in Tamil created an audience in the pre-Independence era that continued the tryst with haiku through generations.
Haiku, which is closely connected to Zen Buddhism and nature, was adapted into Tamil language with slight differences. Retaining the evocation, spontaneity and economy of words, the Tamil version did not follow the metric or syllable of haiku. The richness of local flavour and native language was infused into haiku and it morphed into a Tamil version of ‘Tulipa’.
Observing the Centenary Celebration of ‘Tulipa’, Pondicherry Institute of Linguistics and Culture in association with Karantadi-Tulipa Kazhagam recently organised a two-day workshop in Puducherry. Seenu Tamilmani, editor of Karantadi magazine, told The Hindu that both men and women in Puducherry have been engaged in writing haiku. “Right now, there are at least 15 haiku poets. Of them, five are women,” he says.
He started the Karantadi magazine in 1988, a magazine dedicated for haiku poems. “All these short poems have a surprise element and a hidden meaning in them. Though there are haiku poets in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, it is only here that the poets continue to write completely in Tamil language retaining the aesthetics of haiku,” he said.
He added that the two-day workshop on haiku held at Pondicherry Institute of Linguistics and Culture was the second programme organised to celebrate the centenary year. “Students and research scholars will be introduced to haiku poems and the experts will orient them to write such poetry. This workshop will help encourage the younger generation to get into the world of haiku poems,” he said.
Puducherry has etched a place for itself in the world republic of letters by enriching the haiku tradition.
The PILC Director, Associate Professor and poet Arivumathi were present.
