Changampuzha Krishna Pillai

Changampuzha
Statue of Changampuzha at Edappally, Ernakulam
Born	October 11, 1911(1911-10-11)
Died	17 June 1948(1948-06-17) (aged 36)

Changampuzha Krishna Pillai (Malayalam: ചങ്ങമ്പുഴ കൃഷ്ണപിള്ള) (11 October 1911 – 17 June 1948) was a celebrated Malayalam poet from Kerala, India, known almost exclusively for his romantic elegy Ramanan (Malayalam: രമണന്‍) which was written in 1936 and sold over 100,000 copies. [1] It is a play writtern in the form of verse.Ramanan, written in the romantic tradition, remains a best seller. It is a long pastoral elegy allegedly based on the life of Changampuzha's friend Edappally Ragahavan Pillai.He is credited with bringing poetry to the masses with his simple romantic style. He died of Tuberculosis at a young age of 36. His style influenced next few generations of Malayalam poetry.

"Changampuzha Smaraka Grandhasala" (meaning Changampuzha Memorial Library) and the Changampuzha Park, are two institutions established as memorial for the great poet at his birth place Edappally.

Biography

Changampuzha attended the Government Upper Primary School at Edappally.

Published works

Poetry

• Ramanan (Malayalam: രമണന്‍, 1935).
• Vaazhakkula (Malayalam: വാഴക്കുല, 1937).
• Divyageetham (Malayalam: ദിവ്യഗീതം, 1945).
• Devageetha (Malayalam: ദേവഗീത, 1945).
• Bashpanjali (Malayalam: ബാഷ്പാഞ്ജലി).
• Spandikkunna Asthimaadam (Malayalam: സ്പന്ദിക്കുന്ന അസ്ഥിമാടം).
• Rekthapushpangal (Malayalam: രക്‌തപുഷ്പങ്ങ).
• Madirolsavam (Malayalam: മദിരോത്സവം).
• Padunna Pisachu (Malayalam: പാടുന്നപിശാച്‌).

Prose

• Kalithozhi (Malayalam: കളിത്തോഴി).
• Katharathnamalika (Malayalam: കഥാരത്നമാലിക).

Tomb

The poet's 'tomb' is also in the neighbourhood, presently maintained by the Cochin Corporation and Greater Cochin Development Authority. Originally, the area wherein the tomb is located was belonging to his maternal family property. On the tomb, a few lines from the poet's famous poem "Spandikkunna Asthimadom" have been carved. The following lines are inscribed at the Samadhi place of the poet:

Quotes

In a world of hypocrisy,
Having a sincere heart,
was may failure.

(കപട ലോകത്തിലാത്മാർത്ഥമായൊരു ഹൃദയമുണ്ടോയതാണെൻ പരാജയം)

Come what may, I want to savour,
this wine of life

(എന്തു വന്നാലുമെനിക്കാസ്വദിക്കണം മുന്തിരിച്ചാറു പോലുള്ളൊരീ ജീവിതം)

External links

• http://www.cs.nyu.edu/kandathi/changampuzha.html

Gallery

• 

  Changampuzha Samadhi Mandiram

• 

  Lines from "Spandikkunna Asthimadam" inscribed at Changampuzha Samadhi

Persondata
Name	Pillai, Changampuzha Krishna
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	11 October 1911
Place of birth
Date of death	17 June 1948
Place of death