Kaalamegam

Kālamēgam
Born	Varathan 15th century
Occupation	Poet
Language	Tamil
Notable works	Tiruvaṉaikka Ulā, Sarasvatī Mālai, Parapprammi Vilakkaḷam, Chitra Maṭal

Kaalamegam or Kālamēgam (Tamil: காளமேகம்; born Varathan) was a prominent 15th-century Tamil poet. Born into a Vaishnavite family, he fell in love with a woman named Mohanaangi, who was affiliated with the Shiva tradition at the Jambukeswarar Temple, Thiruvanaikaval. Due to his affection for her, he converted from Vaishnavism to Shaivism.

He was renowned for his expertise in siledai—a traditional form of Tamil satirical song—but he also composed many spiritual works and light-hearted poetry. He authored several devotional and religious texts and was considered a skilled ācu (impromptu or spontaneous) poet.

Biography

Kaalamegam's birth name was Varathan, and he lived during the reign of Chola minor king Thirumalai Raayan (1453–1468 CE), as indicated by an inscription dated Ṣaka 1375 (equivalent to 1453 CE) at Thiruvanaikaval.

Kaalamegam's pen-name has a poetic origin: while serving as a cook in the Adhirangam Ranganathaswamy temple at Thiruvarangam, he waited for Mohanaangi in an interior corridor, fell asleep, and upon waking discovered she'd left. At that moment, he witnessed a priest offering betel leaf directly from the goddess Saraswati’s mouth—he believed it was Mohanangi’s doing. This vision inspired him with divine poetic fervor, leading him to adopt “Kālamēgam” (“poetic cloud”) as his pen name .

Works

Some of his notable works include:

• Thiruvaṉaikka Ula
• Saraswathi Maalai
• Parabramm Vilakkam
• Chithira Madal

Silētai (Satirical Verses)

Kālamēgam composed several famous siledai, such as:

• On the serpent and banana – Drawing allegories comparing poison and fruit, skin and flesh; highlighting that some harms are irreversible.
• On onions, ginger, and spices – A commentary blending culinary spices with spiritual metaphors; sometimes attributed to the poet Sokkanadhar.
• On serpents and sesame – Juxtaposes the hiss of a snake with the sound of sesame sprinkled in oil, using vivid sensory imagery.

Style and Description

He was also skilled in ezhuthani paadal—alliterative, rhythmical lyric poetry with wordplay.

In one autobiographical verse, he calls himself the poetic cloud (“Kaalamegam”), having immersed himself in the ocean of good literature, grazing as a cloud upon the mountain of sage Agastya, and pouring forth poetry like lightning.

Legacy

Kaalamegam is remembered for his witty, satirical, and devotional poetry. Tamil critics compare him to great Tamil poets of successive eras, praising his spontaneity and literary creativity.

The 1940 Tamil film Kalamegam was about Kaalamegam's life.

Sources

• "காளமேகம் – தமிழ் விக்கிப்பீடியா". ta.wikipedia.org (in Tamil). Retrieved 2025-06-18.
• "கவி காளமேகம் வரலாறு" (in Tamil). ஒருசரணம். Retrieved 2025-06-18.
• "காளமேகப் புலவர்" (in Tamil). அகரம் WordPress.com. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
• ""கவிக் காளமேகம்"" (in Tamil). Yarl.com forum. Retrieved 2025-06-18.

Further reading

• Zvelebil, Kamil. Tamil Literature. E.J. Brill, Leiden, 1974.
• Pillai, M. S. Purnalingam. A Primer of Tamil Literature. Asian Educational Services, 1994.