The official address of Agal Vilakku Publishers is an independent residence that bears no name board, sign or resemblance to a publishing house.
Posing as a customer, a TOI correspondent sought Naladiyar Vazhvin Vazhikatti, which writer Perumal Murugan flagged for describing Naladiyar, a collection of 400 verses, as a Tamil poet. On the first floor, the women confirmed that Agal Vilakku Pathippagam operated from the building, which resembled paying guest accommodation. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Chennai | Silver Rate in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai | Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Petrol Price in Chennai | Diesel Price in Chennai | CNG Price in Chennai | LPG Price in Chennai Stay updated with the latest Chennai news.
However, three women at the premises appeared unfamiliar with the publication and said no copies were available. Neighbours said they were unaware of a publishing house operating there. A book allegedly written by an unknown person called “Trisha Vijay” in Periyar Arivulagam in Coimbatore Meanwhile, figures attributed to the Raja Rammohun Roy National Agency for ISBN database list 2,393 books registered under Agal Vilakku Pathippagam between Dec 3, 2024, and Feb 6, 2026, bearing 609 author names, including Trisha Vijay, whose identity Murugan questioned.
Chennai: No signboard, no books and no visible publishing activity. The address of Agal Vilakku Pathippagam, embroiled in the Periyar Arivulagam book procurement controversy, led TOI to a two-storey residential building in Chennai’s Madipakkam. Attempts to trace Sigma Prints, the printing house named in its publications, also proved futile. The publisher’s address printed in the book led to Brahmaputra Street near a densely populated residential neighbourhood. However, the furnished residential space showed no signs of books being stocked or publishing operations. Asked about the person in charge, they provided a contact number, identifying the person as Mohana Rajavel. Multiple calls went unanswered, while subsequent attempts were blocked. The trail extended to Sigma Prints, identified in the book as its printer with the location in Chennai’s Old Pallavaram area. However, TOI ‘sattempts to locate the establishment were unsuccessful. Download the TOI App.
