Ulundurpettai Shanmugham

Ulundurpettai Shanmughan was one of the most prolific Tamil writers of the Twentieth Century. Born on 16th September 1932 in Tamil Nadu, Shanmugham was known in the scene of Bhakti literature for ushering in a revival of Tamil music with his lyricism which he poured into his devotional songs. Shanmugham has a master’s degree in Tamil Language and Literature from Pachiyappan College in Chennai. He has achieved his M.Litt. Degree with a study on Narita from Annamalai University. Furthermore, he completed his Ph. D from the same university. All these achievements stand as witness to the intellectual capacity of the brilliant writer. Ulunderpettai has written the lyrics to several songs in films such as, To be Seven Hills in ‘Goddess Tirumala,’ and The World Must Become Equal in ‘Agathiyar’ (1972).

The hard work and passion of Shanmugham know no bounds for he has also written and published twenty-nine books, some of which are titled: There Is No God but You- Muruga (Part 1), Love Is God, Om Shakti! Paramshakti! A Wise Man Who Admired Knowledge, and many more. As a devotional writer and poet, Shanmugham connected the bridge between Theology and Tamilization, which refers to the expansion of the Tamil people to different parts of India, particularly in the South and some parts of Sri Lanka. He was honoured with the Kalaimamani Award in 1975 for his tireless efforts and contribution to Tamil literature and art. In his lifetime, Shanmugham has been credited for composing more than four thousand songs and translating over twenty vernacular Thothrippas into his mother tongue.