Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

நடந்தாய் வாழி காவேரி

Rate this book
காவேரி, காலந்தோறும் இலக்கியங்களில் இடம்பெற்று வந்ததன் உச்சமாக, தானே தலைவியாய்த் திகழும் இலக்கியம் இது. “காவேரி வெறும் ஆறு மட்டுமல்ல. அதன் கரையில் வாழும் மக்களின் பண்பை விளக்கும் வரலாற்று ஓவியம்” என உணர்ந்து தெளிந்த ‘சிட்டி’ (பெ.கோ. சுந்தரராஜன்)யும் தி. ஜானகி ராமனும் இணைந்து எழுதிய இப் பணயக் கதை - காவேரிக் கரைக் காட்சிகளை, அவற்றின் பகைப்புலங்களை, காவேரி சார்ந்த வரலாற்றை, பண்பாட்டை, புகைப்படங்கள் கோட்டோவியங்களுடன் தருகிறது. நாற்பதாண்டுகளுக்குப் பிறகு இந்தச் செவ்வியல் பயணக் கதை புதிய பதிப்பாக இப்போது வெளிவந்துள்ளது.
A Charmingly written travelogue along the banks of the river Cavery. Widely considered a Classic in Tamil.

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1971

12 people are currently reading
126 people want to read

About the author

Thi. Janakiraman

40 books172 followers
Thi . Janakiraman (also known as Thi Jaa, or T. Janakiraman ) is one of the major figures of 20th century Tamil fiction. He worked as a civil servant. His writing included accounts of his travels in Japan and the Crimea.

His best-known novel is Mogamul (Thorn of Desire), in which feminine emotions are explored with a story spun around delicate feelings. His short stories such as "Langdadevi" (a lame horse) and "Mulmudi" (Crown of Thorns) follow the same style. Thi Jaa wrote about one hundred short stories and a dozen novels. Two of his novels, Amma Vandhaal and Marappasu, were translated into English as "Sins of Appu's Mother" and "Wooden Cow" respectively. In 1979, he was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for Tamil for his short story collection Sakthi Vaidhiyam. Some of his other notable works are Malar Manjam, Uyirthen and Sembaruthi.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
17 (43%)
4 stars
12 (30%)
3 stars
6 (15%)
2 stars
2 (5%)
1 star
2 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Profile Image for Arunmozhi Ganesan.
108 reviews23 followers
July 31, 2021
நான்கு வருடங்களுக்கு முன்பு காவேரி நதியை explore செய்யும் பொருட்டு ஒரு பயணத்திட்டம் போட்டேன். நேரம் உள்ளிட்ட பல காரணங்களால் அதை தள்ளி போட்டுக்கொண்டே வர வேண்டியதாக போயிற்று. இதே லட்சியத்துடன் ஒருவர் 40 வருடங்களுக்கு முன்பே பயணித்து அதை புத்தகமாகவும் போட்டுள்ளார் என்பதை சமீபமாகவே தெரிந்து கொண்டேன். ஒரு வேளை இந்த புத்தகத்தை முன்பே வாசிக்க நேர்ந்திருந்தால் அந்த பயணம் மேற்கொள்ள பெரும் உந்துதலாக இருந்திருக்கும்.

என் பயண திட்டத்தில் இல்லாத நிறைய இடங்கள் பற்றிய குறிப்புகள் நிச்சயம் குறிப்பிடத்தக்கவை. என்ன மொழிப்பற்று கொண்டுள்ளவர்கள் மேல் திஜா கொண்டுள்ள வன்மம், ஜனநாயகவாதிகள் மேல் உள்ள எரிச்சல், காமகோடி புராணங்கள், சம்பந்தம் இல்லாத personal stories போன்றவற்றை பொறுத்து கொள்ள வேண்டும்.
Profile Image for Sriram Ravichandran.
32 reviews17 followers
February 3, 2021
Let’s begin with a trivia question - What connects these following writers and philosophers (not an exhaustive list)?
Ilango Adigal - writer of Tamil epic Silappadigaram,
Saathanar - writer of Pattinappalai,
Sekkizhar - Complier of Periyapuranam,
Sri Vadiraja Tirtha - a Madhwa saint philosopher from 15th cent CE
Saint Thiagaraja - One of the Trinity of Carnatic music
DV Gundappa - Writer and Philosopher
As one’d have guessed from the book's title, this is just a short list of writers spanning across millennia who have effusively praised the great river of Kaveri in their works!

The Eternal Kaveri is the English Translation of Nadhanthai Vaazhi Kaveri - A Tamil travel account recorded by noted writers Thi. Janakiraman and Chitti Sundararajan as they travel along the course of the river from its origin Talakaveri to its final destination of Bay of Bengal at Kaveri Poompattinam in TN’s East Coast. The authors record all the major villages, temple towns, Sangamas of tributaries with the main river, Major Dams in Karnataka / TN and some interesting conversations with people they meet in their journey. Set in late 1960s, one can almost feel the unhurried mood in the towns and that the authors have picturesquely described.

The book represents quintessential travel-writing - the writers have expertly combined reverence to Kaveri and a celebration of its rich history of the civilisation that has thrived for several thousand years at her banks. The authors wonder what is it about Kaveri that her soil has given birth to countless intellectuals, luminaries, then evocatively conclude it must be something about her waters and the serenity it lends to the towns on its banks, that nurtures creativity and excellence in its peoples. The list of artists and musicians who can be considered the sons of the soil is seemingly endless..

Temples galore: Any journey along Kaveri will be incomplete without describing the grandest temples along its banks. The authors make a visit to all 3 popular river island temples of Srirangapatnam, Sivasamudram and Srirangam. Quite a few Divyadesam and Padal Petra Sthalam temples- praised by saint poets - Nayanmars and Azhwars - find a mention. A few wonderful temple trivia also are shared -
1. There are a few temples named Agasteeshwara (possibly in honour of Sage Agastya and his tradition of bringing Kaveri to Earth) most notably both at Talakaveri and Poompattinam.
2. The best place to observe the grandness of Akanta Kaveri is atop the hill temple - Thiruinkoimalai - A Paadal Petra Sthalam - between Trichy and Karur.

The authors make a stop or passby atleast 30 notable towns in Karnataka and 50+ temple towns in Tamilnadu. Despite making a detailed two stage tour of the river, they still feel guilty of not having done justice in recording all the important places along the river.
Some of the best lines of the book are when the journey of Kaveri is compared with that of a human life itself - ‘From humble beginnings at Talakaveri, she grows into a stream, gathers strength from its additions, irrigates, powers and carries men and human activities along its course. She feeds and energizes lives in the transformed appearance as Akhanda Kaveri. In the end, satisfied and perhaps from all its labours, she seeks rest and fulfilment by merging into the sea.’

There cant be a better celebration of river that has been the backbone of many generations and will continue to be one for many more to come, than what the writers have put together through this excellent book. A few closing lines from the book again - “How many festivals, how many legends, how many folks songs based on the Kaveri! Water comes from any tap. But when it runs along a river like the Kaveri, what wonderful images it assumes, what sounds it produces as music, what structures it creates in temple form, how it flowers into poetry and percolates your very being! How many Siva bhaktas from the days of Tirumoolar, How many musicians from the days of Tiruppanazhwar! But the Kaveri predates them all. She continues to flow. Measured against this scale of eternity, why should we ache at the measure of our meagre achievement?…
… Learning, poetry, worship - all of them arise from her waters time and again.”
Profile Image for Nagaprakash Nagaprakash.
Author 2 books14 followers
January 22, 2018
கர்நாடகத்தில் நிகழும் பகுதிகள் ஒட்டாமல் ஓடுவதைப் போல இல்லாமல் தமிழகத்துக்குள்ளான பயணம் விரிவாக எழுதப்பட்டுள்ளது. இதை முக்கியமான நூலாகக் கொண்டாலும் குறிப்புகளாக இருப்பதை இதன் குறையாகச் சொல்லவேண்டும். பயண வேகத்தில் எழுதப்பட்ட குறிப்புகள். முழுவதுமான இதைப்போன்ற ஒரு கனவுப் பயணம் சிக்கலானது. காவேரிக்கரையில் வாழ்ந்த கலைஞர்கள் தொடர்பான விவரங்களும் வர்ணனைகளும் இந்த புத்தகத்தின் மிகச்சிறந்த பகுதிகள். கோயில்களை இன்னும் விரிவாக விவரித்திருக்கலாம். காவேரி நீர் பாசனத்திற்கு பிரிக்கப்படும் நுட்பம், (காவேரியோடு தொடர்பில்லாத) புராணங்கள் அளவுகூட கோயில்களின் அமைப்பு மற்றும் நுட்பம் பேசப்படவில்லை. ஆனால் கரிகாலன், நரசிம்மவர்மன் தொடர்பான இடங்களைப் பற்றிய பகுதிகள் கூடவே தியாகையர் பற்றிய பகுதி மிகுந்த ஈடுபாட்டை தருபவை.
Profile Image for Geetha Suresh.
25 reviews4 followers
March 9, 2020
Beautiful journey through river cauvery. After reading this book, waiting to explore the flow of river from its origin thalacauvery, coorg to the ocean, near poompuhar crossing the borders, villages, canals, dams. Amazing travel experience by favorite writer TJa.
1 review
August 5, 2020
Excellent read. Must read for Geography, weather lovers. You will as if you had the traveling through cauvery from Start to end. Authors presented so much details in a interesting way..
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.