Smt. K. Savitri Ammal

[Smt. K. Savitri Ammal was associated with Triveni as a member of the Advisory Board for about sixty years, until she passed away. She contributed a number of valuable articles on varied subjects, besides reviews of books. Triveni is greatly indebted to Savitri Ammal and also to her illustrious brothers K. Balasubramania Iyer and K. Chandrasekharan for the invaluable help rendered by them to Triveni. Triveni payssincere homage to Savitri Ammal.        –Editor]

Smt. K. Savitri Ammal was born on 5-5-1898 as the third daughter of V. Krishnaswamy Iyer and Valambal amongst the two sons and four daughters. Her brothers were late illustrious Dharma Rakshamani K.Balasubramania Iyer, and the connoisseur of art, literature and music, Sri K. Chandrasekharan.

The entire family had the early tragedy of losing their mother in 1909 and their brilliant father V. Krishnaswamy Iyer in 1911, when he was barely 48 years old and at the height of his glory as an Executive Member of the Madras Governor’s Council. Savitri Ammal was only 13 years old at that time. She grew up under the care of her brother K. Balasubramania Iyer at Madras.

Young Savitri had her formal schooling in Rani Vijayanagaram School, Mylapore (no longer there now). But as higher studies for girls was not looked upon with favour in those days by orthodox South Indian Brahmin families, Savitri had to discontinue her education even in Form I. All her subsequent knowledge was self-acquired and it is to her credit that she became proficient in English, Tamil and Sanskrit. In fact, her talent in English and Tamil reached such a stage that she became capable of writing short stories, essays, articles, pen-sketches and reviews in both the languages.

She got married to Pattabhirama Iyer in June 1908. Pattabhirama Iyer was the eldest son of Maruthuvakudi Sivarama Iyer, a landlord of Thanjavur District with a large family. Savitri Ammal had no progeny of her own and her husband passed away in 1948.

Savitri Ammal stayed with her brother. She devoted most of her attention to intellectual pursuits and became a notable writer of standing in English and Tamil in Madras. She had contributed many articles to Triveni, the reputed literary and cultural magazine. She used to write essays and short-stories in Tamil to “Kalaimagal”, a popular literary journal of Madras. She also translated into Tamil Rt. Hon. V. S. Srinivasa Sastri’s “Lectures on Ramayana” which was greatly appreciated in the literary world in Madras and elsewhere.

Apart from her scholarliness, she was proficient in the art of Carnatic vocal music and could also play well on the Veena. She inaugurated Dikshitar Kritis in All India Radio, Madras, in 1937.

Though patrimony from her father was meager, due to her careful investment of the same, it grew in proportion to enable her to make charities suitable to her disposition. The Savitri Ammal Oriental School was started and founded by her in 1958. The school is functioning well, having become a Higher Secondary School and now has as many as 450 students comprised of boys and girls.

She was of a generous nature and gave donations totaling about Rs. 21akhs – to Vidya Mandir, Lady Sivaswamy Iyer Girls’ High School, Venkataramana Dispensary (Ayurvedic College) and to the Madras University for conducting annual Endowment Lectures in memory of K. Balasubrahmania Iyer and cash gifts to all her kith and kin.

Her service to the cause of education is significant. She was President of the Vidya Mandir, Mylapore, from 1976 to 1985 which she voluntarily relinquished due to advancing years. She was a Committee Member of the Lady Sivaswamy Iyer Girls’ High School from 1956 to 1982. She was selfless in her aspirations and outlook and considered the welfare and progress of others as her own.

Even though Savitri Ammal’s achievements were praiseworthy, she was modest and unassuming. She was particular about discipline and propriety always. She was strict without being harsh.

She passed away on October 16, 1992, at the ripe old age of 95 years.

Her entire life was a saga of self-denial and a rich texture of learning and culture. May her soul rest in peace!