Readers Write In #668: Tracing the life of my great-grandfather Rao Sahib K Kothandapani Pillai (1896-1979)

By Venkatesh Kumar

It’s been a pursuit and it happened incidentally in my life!

My search in tracing the life sketch of my great grandfather Rao Sahib K Kothandapani Pillai (1896-1979), an Indian Diplomat who served as the Protector of Emigrants Madras during WW2 and was indeed involved in an event in bringing soldiers of Queen’s Own Madras Snappers and Miners a part of III corps of 44^th Indian army regiment ! (1) Bombay Chronicle 6^th March 1942 plight of Indian evacuees from Malaya page 4. And 44^th Indian Armoured Division (1942-43) britishmilitaryhistory.co.uk 2^nd Oct 2020

He was knighted on the 26^th of January 1943 as “Rao Sahib” by the Viceroy of India! (2) Fort Saint George Gazette dated 26^th January 1943 page 62.

On the 12-02-2024 the Government of Tamilnadu nationalized 33 of his Tamil Literary Works — an ode to a great Tamil Scholar.

He was the first writer to do an English translation of Pattinappalai written in praise of King Karikala of the Cholas from the Tamil legend “Pathupattu” an idyll of the great ten in Sangam literature! The first article was published in the “Magazine” Saint Joseph College Trichnapoly 1918!

He was also the first Tamil writer to translate Russian Thinker and Writer Count Leo Tolstoy’s short stories in Tamil in 1932 as a text book titled “Kadhaimanikkovai” stories from Tolstoy carrying 3 gems of Tolstoy short stories!

He donated the entire revenue generated through his book “Nedunalvaadai” an critical analysis of the long poem to the Tamil Sangam at Madras in 1947!

He elaborated the first couplet of Tamil epic “Thirukkural” into a 200 page book titled “Mudharkural Uvamai” published in 1956 as a text book at Madras University!

Through his book “Pazhan Thamizh Isai” 1959 he recorded that there were only 5 musical modes in Sangam Age and the instrument used to denote them was ‘yazh’!

Tamil Scholar Thiru. Ve. Kalyanasundarar aka Thiru.Ve.Ka termed him “Kothanda-Nakeerar” in the book Nedunalvaadai a critical analysis part 2 published in 1947!

Tamil Saint Kirubanda Variyar Composed a poem for him in Tamil ‘venbaa’ in 1973 during the 50^th Marriage anniversary of K Kothandapani Pillai, which was held at his hometown Semmangudi near kumbakonam! This venbaa was sung by Kirubanda Variyar to the couples and was also published in the book titled “Thirumurugatrupadai thiran” a critical analysis of the long poem published by Mr. Pillai in 1972!

He was involved in a translation project under the order of Indian Government executed by the Vice Chancellor of Annamalai University Rajah Sir Muthiah Chettiar, which is the translation of a book titled Eastern and Western Philosophies written by Former Indian President Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan! The book was published in Tamil translated by K Kothandapani Pillai and other two scholars C Ramalingam and J.M.Somasundaram Pillai titled “Keezhai Melai Nadugalin Mei Poruliyal Varalaru” in two volumes in 1970 & 1979 respectively, which is still a text book at Annamalai University!

A small ode to this great man!!