Tamil writer Devibharathi’s novel Neervazhi Padooum, depicting the life of the Kudi Navithar, the community barbers in the Kongu region of Tamil Nadu, has won the Sahitya Akademi award for 2023. The lines Neervazhi Padooum “punaipol aaruyir muraivazhi padoom” translates to a float that sails on the way of the water, indicating that life travels on the path chalked out …
