Kalki Krishnamurthy

R. Krishnamoorthy
R. Krishnamoorthy
Born	Tamil: ரா. கிருஷ்ணமூர்த்தி September 9, 1899(1899-09-09), India Puthamangalam, near Manalmedu, British India
Died	December 5, 1954(1954-12-05) (aged 55) Chennai, India
Pen name	Kalki Tamil: கல்கி
Occupation	journalist, Critic and Writer
Nationality	Indian
Education	High School
Alma mater	National High School, Tiruchi
Period	1921-1954
Genres	Tamil historic fiction, Tamil social fiction
Notable work(s)	Ponniyin Selvan, Sivagamiyin Sabadham
Notable award(s)	Sahitya Akademi Award for Alai Osai
Children	Kalki Rajendran & Anandi Ramachandran
Influences Kalyana Sundaram Mudaliar

Kalki (Tamil: கல்கி) was the pen name of R. Krishnamurthy (Tamil: ரா. கிருஷ்ணமூர்த்தி) (September 9, 1899–December 5, 1954), a noted Tamil writer, film & music critic, Indian independence activist and journalist from Tamil Nadu, India.

Biography

Krishnamurthy was born at Puttamangalam near Mayiladuthurai in the old Thanjavur district in an orthodox, large Brahmin family with limited means. After primary education in the village, Krishnamurthy joined the National High School at Tiruchi, about 100 kilometres away.

When Mahatma Gandhi launched his non-cooperation movement in 1921, thousands of students gave up their studies to participate; Krishnamurthy was among them. Inspired by Gandhi's speech at a public meeting in Tiruchi, and despite the Secondary School Leaving Certificate examination being just three months away, he left school and joined the Indian National Congress.

In 1922, he was given a one-year prison sentence for participating in the independence struggle. It was during this period that Krishnamurthy came into contact with two people who were to play a major role throughout his life: veteran Congress leader C. Rajagopalachari, and T.Sadasivam, who was to become a life-long friend and partner in journalistic ventures.

Krishnamurthy's first attempt at writing fiction also came during that period. In 1923 he became a sub-editor on Navasakthi, a Tamil periodical edited by Tamil scholar and freedom fighter V. Kalyanasundaram, known as "Thiru Vi. Ka". Krishnamurthy's first book was published in 1927.

Leaving Navasakthi in 1928, Krishnamurthy stayed with C. Rajagopalachari at the Gandhi Ashram in Tiruchengode in Salem district and helped him edit Vimochanam, a Tamil journal devoted to propagating prohibition. In 1931, he was again imprisoned for six months.

Next year Krishnamurthy joined Ananda Vikatan, a weekly edited and published by S. S. Vasan, as its de facto editor. The magazine soon became a household name in middle class families. Krishnamurthy's witty, incisive comments on politics, literature, music and other forms of art were looked forward to with unceasing interest by readers. He wrote under the pen names of "Kalki", "Ra. Ki", "Tamil Theni", "Karnatakam" ,and so on. Vikatan published many of his short stories and novels (as serials).

The name Kalki denotes the impending tenth Avatar of Lord Vishnu in the Hindu religion, who it is said, will bring to an end the Kali Yuga and reinstate Dharma or righteoueness among the worldly beings. He used the name because like the Avatar he wanted to bring about great changes, and also in honor of his mentor Kalyana Sundaram Mudaliar, taking the "Kal" from his name and the "Ki" from his own. He is often referred to as "Kalki Krishnamurthy" or simply "Kalki".

In 1941 he left Ananda Vikatan and rejoined the freedom struggle and courted arrest. On his release after three months he and Sadasivam started the weekly, Kalki. He was its editor until his death on December 5, 1954. In 1956, he was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award posthumously for his novel Alai Osai.

Bibliography

Historical novels

Serial	Name	Comments
1	Ponniyin Selvan (1950–1955)	About Chola Dynasty
2	Sivakamiyin Sabadham (1944)	About Pallava Dynasty
3	Parthiban Kanavu (1941)	About Chola Dynasty
4	Solaimalai Ilavarasi (1947)	About Independence of India

Social novels

• Kalvanin Kaadhali (1937)
• Thiyaga Bhoomi (1938 - 1939)
• Magudapathi (1942)
• Abalayin kaneer (1947)
• Alai Osai (1948)
• Devagiyin Kanavan (1950)
• Mohini Theevu (1950)
• Poiman Karadu (1951)
• Punnaivanathu Puli (1952)
• Amara Thara (1954)

Short stories

Serial	Name	Comments
1	Subhathraiyin Sagodharan
2	Otrai Roja	The Story is about two strangers (an young man and a young women) who meets up in a train from Tirunelveli to Chennai. The woman is from Sri Lanka (who have come to Tamil Nadu) and the man is from Madras. They have failed in their exams and plans to end their life. But life takes a turn when their paths cross and ends up well.
3	Theepiditha Kudisaigal
4	Pudhu Ovarsiyar
5	Vasdhadhu Venu
6	Amara Vazhvu
7	Sunduvin Sanyasam
8	Thirudan Magan Thirudan
9	Imayamalai Engal Malai
10	Pongumaangkadal
11	Master Medhuvadai
12	Pushpa Pallaaku
13	Prabala Nakchatiram
14	Pithalai Ottiyanam
15	Arunachalathin Aluval
16	Parisil Thurai
17	Susila MA
18	Kamalavin Kalyanam
19	Tharkolai
20	S.S.Menaka
21	Saradhaiyin Thandhiram
22	Governor Vijayam
23	Kanaiyazhiyin Kanavu
24	Banker Vinayakarao

Critical work

Kalki was also a film and music critic who wrote under the pseudonym Karnatakam. He also penned many songs and lyrics, most of which were adapted into Carnatic Music.

Biographies of Kalki

• Ponniyin puthalvar by sunda, Vanathi Pathipagam
• Amarar Kalki by anusha venkatesh, The Avenue Press
• oray roja

External links

• The Tamil Writer "Kalki"
• Kalki Krishnamurthy - One Hundred Tamils of 20th Century
• Kalki's Ponniyin Selvan in Tamil Wikisource (Unicode)
• Kalki's novels online at Chennailibrary.com
• Ponniyinselvan Facts and Fiction - a series that analyzes the historic facts behind the fiction
• [1] - An English translation of Sivakamiyin Sabadham authored by Nandini Vijayaraghavan