Dr. Kalaignar Karunanidhi Memorial, Marina Beach


Embedded above is a short video showing photos and clips from our yesterday’s visit to Dr. Kalaignar Karunanidhi Memorial/Samadhi at Marina Beach, Chennai. This is located right inside the Anna Samadhi premises just next to the Anna Square bus stand.

Adjacent to this complex lies the MGR Samadhi & Dr. J. Jayalalitha Samadhi. So the term Anna Square now makes sense with four memorials for the four important political icons of Tamil Nadu over the previous 6-7 decades.

Ten Facts about Dr. Kalaignar Karunanidhi –

  1. Dr. Kalaignar Karunanidhi was the longtime DMK Chief and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for five terms (over 20-years).
  2. He contested and won his first MLA seat during 1957 and has personally won all the elections contested by him ever since.
  3. He worked as a scriptwriter from the age of 20 starting with his (then) friend MGR’s Tamil film Rajakumari. These two later-day rivals worked closely in movies & in politics. In fact, Director Manirathnam made a movie “Iruvar” which is rumoured to be inspired from the tale of friendship between these two movie & political legends.
  4. Dialogues for Sivaji’s first film “Parasakthi” was written by Kalaignar Karunanidhi. He kept writing screenplays for various Tamil films until 2011.
  5. He has written and published more than hundred poems, novels, drama scripts, etc. He has written and published his own autobiography.
  6. Karunanidhi started his political agitations at the age of 14 by rallying the youth in his area for social causes.
  7. He won his first MLA seat at the young age of 33 and his first CM post at the age of 45.
  8. During the 70’s DMK was the only ruling party across India that opposed the Emergency.
  9. He encouraged and continued the tradition of hosting Ulaga Thamizh Manadu (World Tamil Conference). He wrote the lyrics for AR Rehman’s “Semmozhi aana Thamizh mozhiyaam” – the official theme song for World Tamil Conference 2010.
  10. He died at the age of 94 on 7th August 2018 at Kaveri Hospital.

Reference: Wikipedia article on Dr. Kalaignar Karunanidhi.

 

Destination Infinity

4 thoughts on “Dr. Kalaignar Karunanidhi Memorial, Marina Beach

  1. KP

    An informative post.Thanks.

    1. Rajesh K

      I hope it was informative enough 🙂

      Destination Infinity

  2. SG

    Thanks for the interesting info. Everyone is addressed as Doctor in Tamil Nadu as soon as they are given this honorary degree by some educational institution. According to The Official Guide to Names, Titles, & Forms of Address, that degree is just an honor and not same as an earned degree.

    Honorary-degree recipients may be addressed as Dr. (Name) orally during the ceremony or in correspondence from by the granting university. But recipients are not addressed orally or in writing as Dr. (Name) by other universities – and not correctly addressed as Dr. (Name) in their professional/personal life. They continue to be addressed orally and in writing with the form of address to which they entitled prior to receiving the honor.

    1. Rajesh K

      What I wonder is, even if someone finishes their MBBS or PHd, why should they be addressed separately? These titles are only supposed to buttress their gigantic egos. If people prefer to be called that way, and increase their already super large ego, then why not? I feel it’s their problem.

      Destination Infinity

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