Tamil Writer And Sahitya Akademi Awardee Ki. Rajanarayanan Breathes His Last

KiRa won Sahitya Akademi Award for his novel 'Gopallapurathu Makkal' in 1991

KiRa won Sahitya Akademi Award for his novel 'Gopallapurathu Makkal' in 1991. (Image: Twitter)

Puducherry: Tamil writer Ki. Rajanarayanan fondly called a KiRa passed away at his home in Puducherry on Monday night. He was 98 and is survived by two sons. KiRa was born in Idaiseval village near Kovilpatti in Tamil Nadu on September 14, 1923. He became a professor of folklore on Pondicherry University in 1989. He wrote folklores, novels, essays and short stories.

KiRa suffered from ill-health at his young age and was diagnosed with Tuberculosis. He was a seventh-grade dropout from school and started his literature career only at the age of 30. His first short story 'Mayamaan' was published in 'Saraswathi' Magazine in 1959.

The grand old man of Tamil Literature won Sahitya Akademi Award for his novel 'Gopallapurathu Makkal' in 1991. The story of an award-winning novel was based on the lives of Telugu people who migrated to southern parts of Tamil Nadu. He served as a member of Sahitya Akademi General Council & advisory board from 1998 to 2002.

One of the feats he achieved was a film based on his novel 'Kidai' screened at an international film festival of India in 2003. In his 40 years of tenure at Pondicherry University, he had collected almost 200 folk stories and they were published as a series of stories called "Nattuppura Kadhai Kalanjiyam".

Recently in the month of January 2021, Ki Ra was adjudged UVeSa award by the then Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami amid 38 Tamil scholars for his contribution to the field of Tamil Literature. He was hailed as a father of Karisal literature. He has also authored a dictionary called Karisal Vattara Vazhakku Agarathi (colloquial terms used in Karisal region in southern districts of Tamil Nadu).

He is involved in music and ancient literature. Rajanarayanan has authored over 81 literary works including stories in Tamil. Due to old-age ailments, he was bedridden for the past few months and breathed his last on Monday night.