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| Late ‘Mannavan’ Kandappu |
By Veeragathy Thanabalasingham
June 18, 2026 marked the birth centenary of Mannavan Mu. Kandappu, one of the most illustrious personalities of Karaveddy Vadamarachchi. As people of his own village, he is a great man we will forever remember and celebrate with immense pride.
We have never seen or heard anyone address him by his birth name, Kandappu. To everyone, he was simply "Mannavan" (meaning King).
"The name Kandappu faded away into Mannavan. The outside world hardly knew Kandappu the teacher. But 'Mannavan' is the proud name that the wider Tamil world holds dear," the writer Theniyan once beautifully described.
"It was Dr. Sivaprakasam, the son of Puloliyur V. Kumaraswamy Pulavar, who bestowed the name 'Mannavan' upon him. Later, while he was training at the Saiva Teacher Training College, Pandithamani Ganapathipillai witnessed his brilliance and endorsed it, saying, 'You are indeed a Mannavan. From his school days until his very last breath (February 15, 2004), he lived with the name Mannavan," wrote Professor S. Sivalingarajah, former Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Jaffna, in a souvenir published after Mannavan's passing.
A Lifelong Educator
Entering the teaching profession in 1954, Mannavan served as a teacher in various parts of the country, including the Hill Country, and eventually retired as the Principal of Karaveddy Manikkavasagar Vidyalayam. He served for a long period at Vigneswara College, a premier educational institution in our village that was deeply populated by teachers.
Mannavan was renowned not only for his profound Tamil scholarship but also for his exceptional sense of humor. Wherever he was , the atmosphere was always lively and filled with laughter. To this day, our people fondly recall and enjoy the jokes he cracked. This centenary tribute would remain incomplete without sharing a few examples of his wit. For this, I once again rely on the writings of Professor Sivalingarajah.
"Once, Mannavan wrote a letter to a Member of Parliament (MP) and signed it at the end as "Kandappu Pa.U." (using the Tamil initials MP). When the MP later met him, he teased, "It looks like Mannavan has also become an MP." Mannavan immediately replied, "Well, you are a Pa.U. and I am also a Pa.U." To clarify it to the puzzled politician, he explained, "You are a Paaralumanra Uruppinar (Member of Parliament - Pa.U.), and I am a Paadasala Ubathiyayar (School Teacher - Pa.U.)." It took hours for the laughter to settle down.
"One of Mannavan's sons was named Kalaiarasan. At home, they simply called him 'Arasan' (meaning King). Once, a prominent local figure visited Mannavan’s house to ask for some help. Mannavan called out to his son and said, "Arasan, please do the needful for this gentleman." The perplexed visitor asked, "You are Mannavan (King) and your son is Arasan (King)... what is all this?" Mannavan instantly quipped, "Oh, we are a Royal Family!" The visitor burst into laughter that lasted for a long time.
"One day, Mannavan arrived late to school. The principal stopped him and asked sarcastically, "Master, how is the 'syllabus' going?" (playing on the word syllabus).
Mannavan replied without missing a beat, "When I was coming, one 'CTB Bus' (sounding like syllabus) was going towards Jaffna... another 'bus' was going towards Point Pedro... and I am coming on a bicycle!" Before the principal could even finish laughing, Mannavan had slipped into his classroom.
Professor A. Sanmugadas, another former Head of the Tamil Department at the University of Jaffna, wrote about Mannavan as follows ;
"He was a student who deeply loved and admired Pandithamani Ganapathipillai. We have listened to Mannavan narrate Pandithamani's humorous and literary anecdotes multiple times. He would also share many stories about Hindu Board Rajaratnam. When Mannavan graduated from the Thirunelveli Saiva Teacher Training College, he received a teaching appointment at a school run by the Hindu Board (Saiva Vidya Viriddhi Sangam). When Mannavan used to reenact how Rajaratnam handed him that appointment letter, it would feel like watching a mini one-act play unfold."
The Legacy of Mannavan
It is noteworthy that while Mannavan was still alive, the Kaddaively – Nelliady Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society honored him with the title 'Nagaichuvai Mannan' (King of Humor).
Mannavan was an outstanding artist and literary figure, as well as an exceptional poet. He possessed a rare mastery in composing elegies (Saramakavi). When the poems he wrote upon the demise of his friends and relatives were recited, they would move the listeners to tears.
In Karaveddy, my neighbor and relative, Nadaga Kavimani M.V. Krishnaalwar, was a highly accomplished actor, Annaviyar (traditional theater director/master), and poet. We affectionately called him Annaviyappa. During our childhood, while playing in the courtyard of Annaviyappa's house, I frequently saw Mannavan visiting him to engage in long conversations. It was only after growing up that we realized they must have been discussing poetry, particularly the nuances of composing elegies.
In 1995, to mark the centenary of Krishnaalwar, we published a commemorative souvenir. This initiative was guided by Professor Karthigesu Sivathamby, former North-East Provincial Director of Education K. Kandasamy, and Mannavan. Regarding Mannavan's contribution to this endeavor, Professor Sivathamby wrote the following ;
"When some of us came together with the idea of publishing a collection of essays in memory of Krishnaalwar, Mannavan stood at the forefront. He played a pivotal role in the production of that book."
Mannavan passed away during a period of intense warfare. Professor Sivathamby, who was forced by circumstances to live in Colombo at the time, expressed his grief in Mannavan’s memorial souvenir ;
"Karaveddy—specifically West Karaveddy—has lost its goodwill ambassador of the past 30 to 40 years. With the demise of Mannavan Kandappu, for many like me who were born and raised in Karaveddy but suffered the misfortune of not being able to continue living there, yet another link in our chain of connection has broken."
Social Service
Alongside decades of educational, artistic, and literary contributions, Mannavan was deeply dedicated to social service. Beginning with his collaboration with another Tamil scholar from Karaveddy, Pandithar K. Veeragathy, to conduct Bala Pandithar and Pandithar classes through the Vaani Kalaikazhagam, Mannavan contributed to various organizations aimed at social progress. Following his retirement from teaching, he held leadership positions in numerous organizations.Among all his social endeavors, his dedication to co-operative service remains particularly outstanding.
Companion of M.Sivasithamparam
Another distinguished and towering personality of Karaveddy was the late Murugesu Sivasithamparam, the former leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF). Mannavan, a close relative of his, served as a steadfast companion and advisor in his political career, particularly during the 1960–1970 period when former served as the Member of Parliament for the Uduppiddy constituency. Even if one could not meet Mannavan at his own home, he could invariably be found at Siva’s residence in Karaveddy East. Such was the deep bond and intimacy between the two.
During the period when Siva represented the Uduppiddy constituency in Parliament, Karaveddy flourished as a stronghold of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC). This was entirely due to Siva’s immense influence and popularity. Mannavan stood as a pillar of the Tamil Congress. Even today, the bond between Mannavan’s family and the Tamil Congress remains so tight-knit that his sons continue to be actively involved in the party's activities under the leadership of Parliamentarian Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam.
Mannavan has left behind a rich legacy of Tamil scholarship and social service. It is a heritage that not only his fellow villagers but the entire Tamil community can look back on with eternal pride.
Reflecting his literary taste, Mannavan named his house ii Karaveddy, "Sirukudil" (The Small hut). Today, the house still stands bearing that very name. For us he was a king who lived in a hut!
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