 In 1899, R.

Krishnamurthy(Kalki) was born at Puthamangalam in the

Thanjore district of Tamilnadu. His father's name is Ramaswamy Aiyar and
his mother's name is Thaiyal Nayagi.
The name Kalki was his pen name.

 In 1917, he started his school career in Aiyaasamy Aiyar Primary school.He

continued his studies in a secondary school in Trichy.

 In 1921, he joined Mahatma Gandhi's Non-Cooperation

movement sacrificing his school career.

 In 1922, he faced imprisonment for participating in the freedom struggle.

He spent one year in jail.He got the friendship of Sadasivam and
C.Rajagopalachari(Rajaji).

 In 1923, he joined as a sub-editor in Thiru.Vi.Ka's 'Navasakthi', a Tamil

magazine.

 In 1924, he got married to Rukmani. He later settled in Chennai.

 In 1927, he wrote a short story 'Saradhaiyin Thanthiram'.

 In 1928, he resigned from the post of sub-editor in 'Navasakthi'.

 In 1929, he joined Rajaji's 'Vimochanam', a Tamil journal.

 In 1930, he faced imprisonment for the second time for six months.

 In 1931, he joined as an editor in the magazine 'Anandha Vikadan'.

 In 1937, he wrote his first novel 'Kalvanin Kadhali' and published it in

'Anandha Vikadan'.

 In 1939, he wrote his first screenplay for the Tamil movie 'Thayaga Boomi'.
The film attained a huge success eventhough it was banned by the British
Government.

 In 1941, he started his own magazine 'Kalki' after he left 'Anandha

Vikadan'. He was arrested for the third time and spent three months in jail.
His first historical novel 'Parthiban Kanavu' was also published in the same
year.

 In 1944, he wrote 'Sivagamiyin Sabadham'.

  In 1945, he wrote lyrics for the Tamil movie 'Meera'.

 In 1948, he wrote the novel 'Alai Osai' for which he was awarded
the Sahitya Academy Award posthumously.

 In 1950, he started to write the historical novel 'Ponniyin Selvan' and

published it in his own magazine 'Kalki'. He finished the novel nearly after
a period of three years and six months. He visited Sri Lanka three times to
learn some information to write this novel.

 In 1954, R.Krishnamurthy(also known as Kalki) died. A great soul left this

world.

Ashokamitran became acquainted with modern literature through his friend

Ramanarasu while working at Gemini Studios (1952-1966).

He took up a minor role in the play Vanavil (Rainbow) written and enacted by
Ramanarasu.

He later adopted the character’s name 'Ashokamitran’ as his pen name.

The radio play Anbin Parisu (Love’s Gift) published in 1954 was his first work.

It was influenced by Luigi Pirandello’s Six Characters In Search Of The

Author.

Tamil writer Nakulan followed Ashokamitran’s writings attentively and

promoted his aesthetic outlook.

Ashokamitran dedicated his first short story collection Vazhvile Oru

Murai (Once In A Lifetime) to Ramanarasu and Nakulan, with the words "To
Ramanarasu who said that I can write and to Nakulan who said that I do write".

Though he wrote for popular magazines such as Ananda Vikatan and Kalki,
Ashokamitran reserved his major, more serious works for Tamil literary
magazines.

He worked as the chief editor of the literary magazine Kanaiyaazhi.

 Several of his short stories written in the 70s were published
in Kumudam magazine.

Ashokamitran attended a writer’s workshop at the University of Iowa, USA.

He recorded a fictionalized account of his experiences during this period in his

short story collection Otran (Spy).

Narmada Publications published his first short story collection Vazhvile Oru
Murai.

It featured several notable stories such as Prayanam (Journey), Ainooru

Koppai Thattugal (500 Saucers) and Vazhvile Oru Murai.

They were critically acclaimed by critic and writer Ka Naa Subramanyam and
writer Nakulan.

Ashokamitran’s second collection Kaalamum Aindhu Kuzhanthaigalum (Time

And Five Children) was published in 1974.

Vidudhalai (Freedom), a collection of novellas that came out next, was also
well received.

These early collections contain accurate, realistic depictions of life while

retaining a humorous tone.

However, there was an evolution of style seen in his second collection.Several

stories, including Kaalamum Aindhu Kuzhanthaigalum,exhibit an abstract and
metaphorical style.

He employed this technique in a few stories in other collections, before

reverting back to his characteristic style of realistic narration.

He drew on his experiences at Gemini Studios for his second novel, Karainta
Nilalkal (translated to English as Star Crossed by V. Ramnarayan).

His third novel, Thaneer (Water), used the phenomenon of water scarcity in
Chennai as a parallel to the spiritual poverty of the modern age.

Ashokamitran had a fascination for sages, siddhas, and astrologers.

Writer, playwright, and director S. D. S. Yogi (Sa Du Su Yogiyar) and writer K.

R. Gopalan (Ki Ra Gopalan), who also worked at Gemini Studios, introduced
Ashokamitran to a few siddhas and occultists.

They were both interested in siddha mysticism and philosophy. K. R. Gopalan

also showed interest in Vedantic philosophy.
These experiences made their way into Ashokamitran’s
stories Manasarovar and Agaya Thamarai.

Later in life, Ashokamitran wrote memoirs of his youth. His final

novel Yuthangalukidaiyil (Between Wars) has autobiographical elements and
can be read as a continuation of his memoirs.

Ashokamitran received the K. K. Birla fellowship for a thesis on comparative

Indian literature. From 1973-1974 he was awarded two fellowships at the
University of Iowa for creative writing.

Ashokamitran wrote critical essays introducing American literature and other

amusing short essays about the world of filmmaking, Hollywood cinema, Hindi
songs , the transformation of Chennai into a metropolitan city, in lucid,
charming language.

Subrabharathi Manian, editor of the little magazine Kanavu, published a special

edition of critical essays on Ashokamitran in 1991, for his 60th birthday. These
were authored by writer Jeyamohan. Ashokamitran won the 1996 Sahitya
Akademi award for his collection of short stories called Appavin
Snegidhar (Father’s Friend).

Ashokamitran passed away on 23 March 2017 while in his son’s home, in

Velachery, Chennai. He was eighty six.

Thiripurasundari was born in Thottiyam in ,Tamil Nadu. Her parents were Dr.
Srinivasan and Pattammal (Sivakami).

She was schooled at Thottiyam, Musiri and Holy Cross School, Trichy.

She studied in Stanley Medical College and became a medical doctor.

She began publishing short stories in Ananda Vikatan while still at college.

She used "Lakshmi" as her pen name.

Her first short story Thagunda thandanaya? (lit. An apt punishment?) was
published in March, 1940.

Her first novel to be published was Bhavani.

After completing her medical education, she practiced at Chennai. She married
Kannabiran in 1955 and moved to South Africa, where she lived for the next
twenty two years.

Her husband died in 1966. She returned to India in 1977 and took up full-time
writing.

She died in 1987.

Thiripurasundari was a prolific writer who has published hundreds of short
stories and novels. Her novels Penn manam and Mithila Vilas were awarded
the Tamil Valarchi Kazhagam price.

In 1984, she was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for Tamil for her
novel Oru Kaveriyai pola(lit. Like the river Kaveri). Her Kanchanaiyin
Kanavu and Penn Manam and sooryakandham, one of her best works were
made into Tamil films - Kanchana(1952) and Iruvar Ullam (1963). Most of her
works were based on family issues.

Her autobiographical books were published in two volumes

titled Kadhaasiriyaiyin Kadhai.
In 2009, when the Government of Tamil Nadu offered to nationalise her works,
her legal heirs refused the offer.
Vallikannan, is the pseudonym of R. S. Krishnasamy (Tamil: ரா.சு.

கிருஷ்ணசாமி; 12 November 1920 – 9 November 2006), a Tamil writer,

journalist, critic, and translator from Tamil Nadu, India.

Krishnasamy was born in,, Rajavallipuram near Tirunelveli. He started writing

at a very young age and had published twenty five books by the time he was 30.

He worked for magazines like Cinema Ulagam, Navasakthi, Grama

Oozhiyan and Hanuman. He also wrote under the pseudonyms "Naiyandi
Bharathi" and "Koranathan".

He wrote a total of 75 books in his life - novels, novellas, poetry collections,

plays and essay anthologies.

In 1978, he was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for Tamil for his critical
work on modern Tamil poetry Pudukavithaiyin Thottramum Valarchiyum (lit.
The birth and growth of Modern Tamil Poetry).
He died in 2006.
Some of the books he wrote are:

 Bharathidasanin uvamai nayam (1946)

 Pudhukavidhayin Thorramum Valarchiyum (1977)
 Saraswathi Kalam(1986)
 Bharathikkuppin Tamil Urai Nadai (1981)
 Thamizhil Siru Pathirikkaigal (1991)
  Madam rides the bus
 This is a sensitive story of a Tamil girl Valliammai or Valli who is only
eight years old. She was curious to know about the outside world.
 Also, she did not have friends to play. So she keeps standing inside the
doorway of her residence and watch people in the street.
 This was her favourite pastime. However, she was always mesmerized by
the bus journey.
 There travelled a bus between her village and the closest city. She started
collecting information about the timings of the bus from her neighbours.
 The bus travels to the town near her village which was approximately six
miles from her village. The fare was thirty paise for one way.
 So, Valli started saving money for the bus fare.
 She planned to travel in the afternoon when her mother was having her nap.
 Valli was standing on the roadside waiting for the bus. As the bus came she
told the conductor she wants to go to town.
 The conductor was a jovial person. He called her Madam and showed her
the seat. The bus was new and painted in green and white colour stripes.
 The bus was comfortable and seats were luxurious. On her journey, she
enjoyed watching mountains, green fields, and palm trees grassland. She
was experiencing it all for the first time by her own eyes.
 On her way to the town, she saw a young cow that came in front of the bus
while crossing the road. The driver blew the whistle and the cow crossed
by. All this is very fascinating for Valli. It was like a dream come true for
her.
 She was watching everything but the outside landscape was her prime
focus.
 After some time the bus reached the final destination and all the passengers
got down.
 The conductor asked her to get down but she told that she was there for the
bus ride. The conductor smiled listening to her reply.
 Valli remained on the bus and had taken a return ticket from the conductor.
 The bus started and on her way back home she saw the same cow dead by
the roadside. This made her heart cry.
 She thus became sad and tried to understand the meaning of life and death
in her own terms.
 She came back home but did not share a word about the journey with her
family.
 The story illustrates the desire of a small girl and how a bad incident makes
her understand the matters of life and death.
 The Sermon at Benares illustrates the valuable preachings of Lord
Buddha.
 Lord Buddha was born as a prince named Siddhā rtha Gautama in North
India.

 When he was twelve years old, he was sent away from home to study the
sacred Hindu scriptures.

 He returned four years later and married a beautiful princess.

 They had a healthy son and led a life of royalty for ten years.

 Being a part of the royal family, he was protected from the sufferings and
unpleasant happenings around the world.

 One fine day while he went out hunting, the Prince met an ailing man, an
old man, a funeral procession and a monk begging for alms.

 He was moved by the encounters, and soon he left royalty behind to seek
enlightenment for all the sorrows that he witnessed.

 After seven years, he attained Salvation and sat under a tree and renamed
it the ‘Bodhi Tree’ (Tree of Wisdom) and began preaching and sharing
his new understandings. Soon, he came to be known as the Buddha (the
Awakened or the Enlightened). He gave his first sermon in Benares, the
holy city on the banks of the river Ganges. In one of his sermons, he
taught about a lady, Kisa Gotami, whose only son had died. She was
devastated and in extreme grief for the sudden loss. She went from one
house to another, seeking help and medicine to bring her son back to life.

 People thought that she had lost her mind owing to her grief.

 One day, she met a man who directed her to approach Lord Buddha for
guidance.

 He felt that Lord Buddha could possibly help her in this crisis.

 The lady approached the monk as directed and begged him to cure her
son.
 Lord Buddha asked her to procure mustard seeds from a house where the
family had never lost a family member, relative or friend.

 Kisa Gotami was filled with a ray of hope and immediately went in
search of it from one house to another, but she could find none.

 She felt disheartened and finally realised how selfish she had been in
desperately searching for something that was not possible to achieve.

 Thus, she understood that man is a mortal being; all who come to Earth
have to leave behind all their relations and belongings when they die.

 This was the lesson that Lord Buddha taught her and wanted her to
understand, that life and death are the cycles of the universe and no one
can escape it.

 Lord Buddha taught a valuable lesson to all that feelings of sorrow and
grief only escalate man’s suffering and pain. It deteriorates one’s health
and worsens the current situation.

 Therefore, a wise person is one who is completely aware of how Mother

Nature functions and must not lose hope or remain in constant grief for
something that is bound to happen. It is only then one can enjoy life and
stay happy and blessed in life.
Buddha said that death is common to all mortals. Those who are born must die
one day. You cannot avoid it.

Death is certain. As ripe fruits fall off the trees and meet an end so do the lives
of the mortals.

Life of a man is like an earthen pot that breaks and meets its end.

No amount of weeping and lamenting can bring the dead back to life.

So, wise men don’t grieve. They understand that it is the law of nature. Also,
weeping and lamenting bring no gains.

It rather spoils one’s health and gives more pain. If only you take out the arrow
of lamentation and get composed you will get peace of mind.

To overcome sorrow, become free of sorrow.

Theme that the author delves into, is a child’s response to death.

During the bus ride Valli was overjoyed when she saw a cow running with her
raised tail on the road ahead of the bus.

While returning she noticed that the body of the same cow was crushed and
bled.

She was moved from within. The writer seems to suggest that the world has
both aspects that can make us sad or happy. One has to come to terms with
death also.