Nalapat Balamani Amma (19 July 1909 – 29 September 2004) was an Indian

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or w ...

who wrote in

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry ( Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam wa ...

. ''Amma'' (Mother), ''Muthassi'' (Grandmother), and ''Mazhuvinte Katha'' (The story of the Axe) are some of her well-known works. She was a recipient of many awards and honours, including the

Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...

Saraswati Samman The Saraswati Samman is an annual award for outstanding prose or poetry literary works in any of the 22 languages of India listed in Schedule VIII of the Constitution of India. It is named after the Hindu goddess of knowledge, Saraswati. The Sara ...

Sahitya Akademi Award The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...

, and Ezhuthachan Award. She was the mother of writer

Kamala Surayya Kamala Surayya (born Kamala; 31 March 1934 – 31 May 2009), popularly known by her one-time pen name Madhavikutty and married name Kamala Das, was an Indian poet in English as well as an author in Malayalam from Kerala, India. Her popularity ...

Biography

Balamani Amma was born on 19 July 1909 to Chittanjoor Kunhunni Raja and Nalapat Kochukutti amma at Nalappat, her ancestral home in

Punnayurkulam Punnyurkulam is a village in Thrissur district of Kerala, the southwestern state of India. Location The village is located 10 km north west to the world-famous temple town Guruvayur along the Guruvayur- Ponnani state highway. History P ...

, Ponnani taluk,

Malabar District Malabar District, also known as Malayalam District, was an administrative district on the southwestern Malabar Coast of Bombay Presidency (1792-1800) and Madras Presidency (1800-1947) in British India, and independent India's Madras State (19 ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

. She had no formal education, and the tutelage under her maternal uncle and his collection of books helped her become a poet. She was influenced by

Nalapat Narayana Menon Nalapat Narayana Menon (7 October 1887 – 31 October 1954) was a Malayalam language author from Kerala state, South India. His oeuvre consists of poems, plays and translations. His best known works include ''Paavangal'', a translation of Vic ...

and the poet

Vallathol Narayana Menon Vallathol Narayana Menon (Malayalam: വള്ളത്തോൾ നാരായണ മേനോൻ) (16 October 1878 – 13 March 1958) was a Malayalam poet and one of the triumvirate of modern Malayalam poetry, along with Asan and Ulloor ...

. At age 19, Amma married V.M. Nair, who became the

managing director A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especiall ...

and managing editor of ''

Mathrubhumi ''Mathrubhumi'' is a Malayalam newspaper that is published from Kerala, India. It was founded by K. P. Kesava Menon, an active volunteer in the Indian freedom struggle against the British. The word "Mathrubhumi" translates to 'mother land'. ...

'', a widely circulated

newspaper, and later an executive at an automobile company. She left for Kolkata after her marriage to live with her husband. V.M. Nair died in 1977. Amma was the mother of writer

, (also known as Kamala Das), who translated one of her mother's poems, "The Pen", which describes the loneliness of a mother. Her other children include son Shyam Sunder, and daughter Sulochana. Amma died on 29 September 2004 after five years of

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As ...

. Her cremation was attended with full state honours.

Poetry

Balamani Amma published more than 20 anthologies of poems, several prose works, and translations. Her first poem "Kooppukai" was published in 1930. Her first recognition came when she received the Sahithya Nipuna Puraskaram, an award from Parikshith Thampuran, former ruler of

Kingdom of Cochin The Kingdom of Cochin, named after its capital in the city of Kochi (Cochin), was a kingdom in the central part of present-day Kerala state. It commenced at the early part of the 12th century and continued to rule until 1949, when monarchy wa ...

. ''Nivedyam'' is the collection of poems of Balamani Amma from 1959 to 1986. ''Lokantharangalil'' is an elegy on the death of the poet

Collections of poems

*''Kudumbini'' (1936) *''Dharmamargathil'' (1938) *''Sthree Hridayam'' (1939) *''Prabhankuram'' (1942) *''Bhavanayil'' (1942) *''Oonjalinmel'' (1946) *''Kalikkotta'' (1949) *''Velichathil'' (1951) *''Avar Paadunnu'' (1952) *''Pranamam'' (1954) *''Lokantharangalil'' (1955) *''Sopanam'' (1958) *''Muthassi'' (1962) *''Mazhuvinte Katha'' (1966) *''Ambalathilekku'' (1967) *''Nagarathil'' (1968) *''Veyilaarumbol'' (1971) *''Amruthamgamaya'' (1978) *’’Sahapadikal’’(1979) *''Sandhya'' (1982) *''Nivedyam'' (1987) *''Mathruhridayam'' (1988) *''To My Daughter'' (Malayalam) *''Kulakkadavil'' * ''Mahavira''

Awards and recognition

Her poetry earned her the titles of ''Amma'' (mother) and ''Muthassi'' (grandmother) of Malayalam poetry. While delivering the Balamaniyamma remembrance speech at the

Kerala Sahitya Akademi The Kerala Sahitya Akademi or Academy for Malayalam literature is an autonomous body established to promote the Malayalam language and literature. It is situated in City of Thrissur, Kerala in India. History The academy was inaugurated on 15 ...

Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri (18 March 1926 – 15 October 2020), popularly known as Akkitham, was an Indian poet and essayist who wrote in Malayalam. He was known for a simple and lucid style of writing, exploring themes of profound love and ...

, described her as the "prophet of human glory" and said that her poetry had been an inspiration to him. Writer and critic M. N. Karassery considered her a Gandhian, and believed her works should be revisited when people consider

Nathuram Godse Nathuram Vinayak Godse (19 May 1910 – 15 November 1949) was the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi. He was a Hindu nationalist from Maharashtra who shot Gandhi in the chest three times at point blank range at a multi-faith prayer meeting in B ...

to represent Indian nationalism. She received many literary honours and awards, including the

Kerala Sahithya Akademi Award Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award is given each year, since 1958, by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi (Kerala Literary Academy), to Malayalam writers for their outstanding books of literary merit. The awards are given in various categories.

for ''Muthassi'' (1963),

Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...

for ''Muthassi'' (1965), Asan Prize (1989),

Vallathol Vallathol is an Indian Malayalam name that may refer to *Vallathol Narayana Menon (1878–1958), Malayalam poet ** Vallathol Award ** Vallathol Museum in Thrissur District, India ** Vallathol Nagar railway station in Thrissur District, India *Valla ...

Award (1993),

Lalithambika Antharjanam Lalithambika Antharjanam (March 30, 1909 – February 6, 1987) was an Indian author and social reformer best known for her literary works in Malayalam language. She was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and social reform movements among the Nambuth ...

Award (1993),

for ''Nivedyam'' (1995), Ezhuthachan Award (1995), and

N. V. Krishna Warrier N. V. Krishna Warrier (May 13, 1916 – October 12, 1989) was an Indian poet, journalist, scholar, academician and political thinker. A prolific writer, Warrier's works covered the genres of poetry, drama, travelogue, translation, children's lit ...

Award (1997). She was also a recipient of India's third highest civilian honour, the

, in 1987.

Legacy

The Kochi International Book Festival Committee created the Balamani Amma Award, with a cash award for writers. On 19 July 2022,

Google Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...

honoured Amma with a

Google Doodle A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and notable historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running an ...

on her birth anniversary. She has been referred to as "the grandmother of Malayalam literature".

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Amma, Balamani 1909 births 2004 deaths People from Thrissur district Malayalam poets Women writers from Kerala Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in literature & education Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Malayalam Recipients of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award Recipients of the Saraswati Samman Award Recipients of the Ezhuthachan Award Neurological disease deaths in India Deaths from Alzheimer's disease Indian women poets 20th-century Indian poets 20th-century Indian women writers Poets from Kerala