Balamani Amma
Encyclopedia
Nalappat Balamani Amma was an Indian poetess who wrote in Malayalam. She was a prolific writer and was known as the Poetess of Motherhood. Amma (Mother), Muthassi (Grandmother), and Mazhuvinte Katha (The story of the Axe) were some of her well known works. She was a recipient of many awards and honors, including Padma Bhushan
, Saraswati Samman
, Sahitya Akademi Award
, and Ezhuthachan Award. She was the mother of the renowned writer Kamala Das.
of Thrissur district
in Kerala
. Though she received no formal education, the tutelage under her maternal uncle and the poet Nalappat Narayana Menon and his collection of books helped her become a poetess. She was influenced by Nalappat Narayana Menon and poet Vallathol Narayana Menon
.
Balamani Amma got married at the age of 19 to V. M. Nair who later became the Managing Director and Managing Editor of Mathrubhumi
, a widely-circulated Malayalam newspaper. She had left for Kolkata after her marriage to live with her husband who was employed as a senior officer in the Walford Transport Company that sold Bentley
and Rolls Royce
automobiles. V. M. Nair died in 1977. Balamani Amma was the mother of the renowned writer Kamala Das who has translated one of her mother's poems, The Pen, which describes the loneliness of a mother. Mohandas, Shyam Sunder, and Sulochana Nalappat are her other children. Balamani Amma died on 29 September 2004 after having suffered from Alzheimer's disease
for nearly five years.
, former ruler of Kingdom of Cochin
. Nivedyam is the collection of poems of Balamani Amma from 1959 to 1986. Lokantharangalil was an elegy on the death of the poet Nalappattu Narayana Menon.
Her poetry on the love for children and grandchildren earned her the titles of Amma (Mother) and Muthassi (Grandmother) of Malayalam poetry. While delivering the Balamaniyamma remembrance speech at the Kerala Sahitya Akademi, Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri
, described her as the "prophet of human glory" and said that her poetry had been an inspiration to him. She has received many literary honours and awards, including the Kerala Sahithya Akademi Award for Muthassi (1963), Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award
for Muthassi (1965), Asan Prize (1989), Vallathol
Award (1993), Lalithambika Antharjanam Award (1993), Saraswati Samman
for Nivedyam (1995), Ezhuthachan Award (1995), and N. V. Krishna Warrier
Award (1997).
She was also a recipient of India's third highest civilian honour Padma Bhushan
in 1987.
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
, Saraswati Samman
Saraswati Samman
The Saraswati Samman is an annual award for outstanding prose or poetry literary works in any Indian language listed in Schedule VIII of the Constitution of India. It is named after an Indian goddess of learning and is considered to be among the highest literary awards in India.The award consists...
, Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in one of the following twenty-four major Indian languagesAssamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri,...
, and Ezhuthachan Award. She was the mother of the renowned writer Kamala Das.
Biography
Balamani Amma was born on 19 July 1909 to Chittanjoor Kunhunni Raja and Nalappat Kochukuttiamma at Nalappat, her ancestral home in PunnayurkulamPunnayurkulam
Punnyurkulam is a village in Thrissur district of Kerala, the southwestern state of India. The village is located 10 km north west to the world famous temple town Guruvayur along the Guruvayur-Ponnani state highway...
of Thrissur district
Thrissur district
Thrissur is a revenue district of Kerala situated in the central part of that state. Spanning an area of about 3,032 km2, Thrissur district is home to over 10% of Kerala’s population. Thrissur district was formed on July 1, 1949, with the headquarters at Thrissur City. Thrissur is known as...
in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. Though she received no formal education, the tutelage under her maternal uncle and the poet Nalappat Narayana Menon and his collection of books helped her become a poetess. She was influenced by Nalappat Narayana Menon and poet Vallathol Narayana Menon
Vallathol Narayana Menon
Vallathol Narayana Menon , popularly known as Mahakavi, was one of the celebrity poets in Malayalam language, spoken in the South Indian state of Kerala. Vallathol was born in Chennara, near Tirur, in Malappuram District of Kerala state, southern India. Up to his 27 years he lived in Chennara and...
.
Balamani Amma got married at the age of 19 to V. M. Nair who later became the Managing Director and Managing Editor of Mathrubhumi
Mathrubhumi
Mathrubhumi is a Malayalam language newspaper that is published from Kerala, India. Mathrubhumi was founded by K. P. Kesava Menon, an active volunteer in the Indian freedom struggle against the British.-History:...
, a widely-circulated Malayalam newspaper. She had left for Kolkata after her marriage to live with her husband who was employed as a senior officer in the Walford Transport Company that sold Bentley
Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
and Rolls Royce
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a British manufacturer of luxury automobiles based at the Goodwood plant in West Sussex, England. It is the current producer of Rolls-Royce branded automobiles, whose historical production dates back to 1904. The factory is located across from the historic Goodwood Circuit...
automobiles. V. M. Nair died in 1977. Balamani Amma was the mother of the renowned writer Kamala Das who has translated one of her mother's poems, The Pen, which describes the loneliness of a mother. Mohandas, Shyam Sunder, and Sulochana Nalappat are her other children. Balamani Amma died on 29 September 2004 after having suffered from Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
for nearly five years.
Poetry
Balamani Amma had published more than 20 anthologies of poems, several prose, and translations. She began writing poems at a young age and her first poem Kooppukai was published in 1930. Her first recognition came when she received the Sahithya Nipuna Puraskaram, an award from Parikshith ThampuranRama Varma Parikshith Thampuran
Darsanakalanidhi Parikshith Thampuran was the last official ruler of the Cochin princely state. On 1 July 1949, Travancore and Cochin merged together and Travancore-Cochin State came into existence and the kingdom and the rulership came to an end. He ruled the kingdom for a period of one year and...
, former ruler of Kingdom of Cochin
Kingdom of Cochin
Kingdom of Cochin was a late medieval Hindu kingdom and later Princely State on the Malabar Coast, South India...
. Nivedyam is the collection of poems of Balamani Amma from 1959 to 1986. Lokantharangalil was an elegy on the death of the poet Nalappattu Narayana Menon.
Her poetry on the love for children and grandchildren earned her the titles of Amma (Mother) and Muthassi (Grandmother) of Malayalam poetry. While delivering the Balamaniyamma remembrance speech at the Kerala Sahitya Akademi, Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri
Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri
Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri , popularly known as Akkitham, is a Malayalam poet. He was born in 1926 at Kumaranallur in Palakkad District, Kerala and lives there. He is a well known Malayalam poet, essayist, editor and a highly decorated literary personality among contemporary Malayalam writers...
, described her as the "prophet of human glory" and said that her poetry had been an inspiration to him. She has received many literary honours and awards, including the Kerala Sahithya Akademi Award for Muthassi (1963), Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in one of the following twenty-four major Indian languagesAssamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri,...
for Muthassi (1965), Asan Prize (1989), Vallathol
Vallathol Narayana Menon
Vallathol Narayana Menon , popularly known as Mahakavi, was one of the celebrity poets in Malayalam language, spoken in the South Indian state of Kerala. Vallathol was born in Chennara, near Tirur, in Malappuram District of Kerala state, southern India. Up to his 27 years he lived in Chennara and...
Award (1993), Lalithambika Antharjanam Award (1993), Saraswati Samman
Saraswati Samman
The Saraswati Samman is an annual award for outstanding prose or poetry literary works in any Indian language listed in Schedule VIII of the Constitution of India. It is named after an Indian goddess of learning and is considered to be among the highest literary awards in India.The award consists...
for Nivedyam (1995), Ezhuthachan Award (1995), and N. V. Krishna Warrier
N. V. Krishna Warrier
N. V. Krishna Warrier was an Indian poet, newspaper editor and scholar.Warrier was well-versed in different languages. During the Quit India Movement, he published a daily called Swathanthra Bharatham . He was the editor of Mathrubhumi for a long time. Warrier was the founder director of Kerala...
Award (1997).
She was also a recipient of India's third highest civilian honour Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
in 1987.
Collection of poems
- Kooppukai (1930)
- Amma (1934)
- 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)
- Oru Mazhuvinte Katha (1966)
- Ambalathil (1967)
- Nagarathil (1968)
- Veyilaarumbol (1971)
- Amruthamgamaya (1978)
- Sandhya (1982)
- Nivedyam (1987)
- Mathruhridayam (1988)