Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai has criticized the ruling DMK government for its failure to properly maintain Mahakavi Bharathiyar’s house in Ettayapuram. On 25 March 2025, the roof over the verandah of the first floor of the house collapsed. Annamalai questioned why the DMK government is spending hundreds of crores in vain to erect statues of individuals with no connection to Tamil Nadu, yet shows no interest in preserving the birthplace of Mahakavi Bharathiyar, one of the greatest icons of the Tamil language.
This comes at the backdrop of the roof of the verandah in the two-story, 200-year-old building, which follows the traditional Kattakuthu (Madras terrace) roofing style, collapsed on 25 March evening. At the time, the house’s caretaker and watchman were outside, so fortunately, no casualties were reported.
The building, which was taken over by the Tamil Nadu government and declared a memorial house in 1973, houses a photo gallery featuring Bharathiyar’s photographs and works. The memorial is maintained by the Tamil Nadu Public and Information Department.
Annamalai expressed his concerns on the incident via his official X account stating, “The house where Mahakavi Bharathiyar was born, in Ettayapuram, Thoothukudi district, has collapsed without proper maintenance. On 12 August 2023, during my ‘En Mann En Makkal’ yatra, I had the privilege of visiting this historic house where Mahakavi was born. I could still feel the revolutionary spirit of Mahakavi within its walls. I strongly condemn the DMK government for not maintaining such a significant site and deteriorated it to the point of collapse today. While they waste hundreds of crores on in vain to install statues of individuals with no connection to Tamil Nadu, does the DMK government have no intention of preserving the birthplace of Mahakavi Bharathiyar, one of the greatest symbols of the Tamil language?”
தூத்துக்குடி மாவட்டம் எட்டயபுரத்தில், மகாகவி பாரதியார் பிறந்த வீடு, முறையான பராமரிப்பு இல்லாமல் இடிந்திருக்கிறது. கடந்த 2023 ஆம் ஆண்டு ஆகஸ்ட் மாதம் 12 அன்று, என் மண் என் மக்கள் பயணத்தின்போது, மகாகவி பிறந்த இல்லத்தைத் தரிசிக்கும் பாக்கியம் எனக்குக் கிடைத்தது. மகாகவியின் புரட்சி… pic.twitter.com/pdzsUsRo58
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) March 25, 2025
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