In 1930, at the age of 21, Amma published her first poem titled Kooppukai.
Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Kerala-based artist Devika Ramachandran, celebrates the 113th birthday of Balamani Amma, a famous Indian poet who was known as the grandmother of Malayalam literature – a language spoken in Kerala, India. On this day in 1909, she was born in Nalapat, her ancestral home in Punnayurkulam located in Thrissur district. She has been the recipient of countless awards for her poetry, including the Saraswati Samman – the nation’s most distinguished literary award – and the Padma Vibhushanthe – the second highest civilian award of the Republic of India.
Amma never received a formal education or training, but was instead tutored at home by her uncle Nalappat Narayana Menon, who was also a popular Malay poet. It had an impressive collection of books and works that Amma studied at a young age. At 19, she married VM Nair, managing director and managing editor of Mathrubhumi, a Malayalam newspaper.
In 1930, at the age of 21, Amma published her first poem titled Kooppukai. Her first recognition as a gifted poet came from the former ruler of the Kingdom of Cochin, Pariksith Thaburan, who awarded her the Sahithya Nipuna Puraskaram.
As an avid reader of Indian mythology, Amma’s poetry tended to put a twist on the traditional understanding of female characters. Her early poems glorified motherhood in a new light – she became known as the ‘poet of motherhood’. Her works adopted the ideas and stories of mythological characters, but depicted women as powerful figures who remained ordinary human beings. Her most famous works include Amma (1934), Muthassi (1962) and Mazhuvinte Katha (1966).
Balamani Amma has been the recipient of many awards and has published more than 20 anthologies of poetry, prose and translations. She was also the mother of Kamala Das, who was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1984. Amma died in 2004 and was cremated with full state honours. Her poems describing her love for her children and grandchildren earned her the titles Amma (Mother) and Muthassi (Grandmother) of Malayalam poetry.
View the news feed and get the latest news.
