R. Leela Devi (13 February 1932 – 19 May 1998) was an Indian writer, translator, and teacher who wrote in English,

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

, and

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

. She was from the state of

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

Career

Dr. R. Leela Devi wrote and translated more than 300 books with her husband V. Balakrishnan. She translated the '' Marthandavarma'', ''

Narayaneeyam The ''Narayaniyam'' () is a medieval-era Sanskrit text, comprising a summary study in poetic form of the ''Bhagavata Purana''. It was composed by Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri, a celebrated Sanskrit poet of Kerala. Even though the ''Narayaniyam'' ...

'', and Vidur Gita (''

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...

''), among others, and contributed to the English language section of the book ''Contribution of Writers to Indian Freedom Movement'' (see

Indian independence movement The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events in South Asia with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British colonial rule. It lasted until 1947, when the Indian Independence Act 1947 was passed. The first nationalistic ...

). She translated Chandu Menon's ''Indulekha'' into English as ''Crescent Moon''.

Selected works

*''From Representation to Participation'' – the first book on Panchayatiraj- Sri Satguru Publications (Delhi) *''

Sarojini Naidu Sarojini Naidu (Birth name, née Chattopadhyay) (; 13 February 1879 – 2 March 1949) was an Indian political activist and poet who served as the first Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Governor of United Provinces, after Independence Day (India), Indi ...

'' – biography *''Blue Jasmine'' – fantasy novel *''Saffron'' – a novel about the

myth Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...

s and

legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...

s of

Kashmir Kashmir ( or ) is the Northwestern Indian subcontinent, northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term ''Kashmir'' denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir P ...

*''Mannatthu Padmanabhan and the Revival of Nairs in Kerala'' – the renaissance of the

Nair The Nair (, ) also known as Nayar, are a group of Indian Hindu castes, described by anthropologist Kathleen Gough as "not a unitary group but a named category of castes". The Nair include several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom hi ...

s and their history *''An Epoch in Kerala History'' *''History of Malayalam Literature'' *''Kerala History'' *''Influence of English on Malayalam Literature'' *''Indian National Congress – Hundred Years'' – history of the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...

, published for Congress Centenary. *''A Handbook of English Teaching'' *''Ethics''(In various Religions of the World)- Sri Satguru Publications (Delhi) *''Vedic Gods and Some Hymns''- Sri Satguru Publications (Delhi) *''Vidura Gita''- Text & English Translation- Sri Satguru Publications (Delhi) *''Naganandam by Harshavardhana''- Sri Satguru Publications (Delhi)

References

External links

* http://www.malayalamebooks.org 1932 births 1998 deaths Indian women dramatists and playwrights Malayalam-language writers 20th-century Indian women writers 20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights Writers from Kerala 20th-century Indian translators English-language writers from India Indian political writers Indian women political writers People from Pala, Kerala Writers from Kottayam district Indian women non-fiction writers Indian women biographers 20th-century Indian biographers Sanskrit writers Women writers from Kerala {{India-writer-stub