Unnuneeli Sandesam
Encyclopedia
Unnuneeli Sandesam is among the oldest literary works in Malayalam language . It is what is called "Sandesa Kavyam" (message poem). A "Sandesa Kavyam" is a message written in poetry, on the lines of the famous "Megh Dhoot" of Kalidasa
. In the case of this work, it is a message written by a lover to his lady-love staying at a far-off place. The message is therefore written as if it is sent through a messenger. The work was written in the 14th century AD, when transport and communications were very limited in Kerala
. The messenger in the poem is, therefore, a carrier pigeon
. Apart from the message proper, the poem gives detailed instructions to the messenger pigeon, including the route to be taken and the landmarks enroute.
Besides the literary value of the work, it throws light on the geography of Kerala
of that period. It, therefore, reads in part like a travelogue
too . The journey starts in Thiruvananthapuram
the capital of the Venad
(Travancore
) Kingdom of that day, and ends at Kaduthuruthy
a port town then. What amazes readers today is the fact that Kaduthuruthy
is no longer a port town, as the sea receded several miles down apparently following a tsunami
in 1341. Also, some of the land and water bodies mentioned in the poem are not to be seen now.
The poem is written under the pen-name Amruthanilakshi, and some believe that it was written in 1362 AD. The exact identity of the author remains a mystery, but it is widely believed that one of the members of the Vadakkumkur (Travancore
) Royal Family wrote it. An annotated version was published by DC Books.
Kalidasa
Kālidāsa was a renowned Classical Sanskrit writer, widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language...
. In the case of this work, it is a message written by a lover to his lady-love staying at a far-off place. The message is therefore written as if it is sent through a messenger. The work was written in the 14th century AD, when transport and communications were very limited 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....
. The messenger in the poem is, therefore, a carrier pigeon
Carrier pigeon
A carrier pigeon is a homing pigeon that is used to carry messages. Using pigeons to carry messages is generally called "pigeon post". Most homing or racing type varieties are used to carry messages. There is no specific breed actually called "carrier pigeon"...
. Apart from the message proper, the poem gives detailed instructions to the messenger pigeon, including the route to be taken and the landmarks enroute.
Besides the literary value of the work, it throws light on the geography of 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....
of that period. It, therefore, reads in part like a travelogue
Travelogue
Travelogue is the second full-length studio album released by the British synthpop band The Human League, released in May 1980 before the band achieved any degree of commercial success....
too . The journey starts in Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
the capital of the Venad
Venad
Venad Swarupam was one of the three prominent late medieval Hindu feudal kingdoms on Malabar Coast, south India, along with Kingdom of Calicut and Kingdom of Cannanore. In the early 14th century, Venad ruler Ravi Varma Kulasekhara had established a short-lived supremacy over southern India...
(Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
) Kingdom of that day, and ends at Kaduthuruthy
Kaduthuruthy
Kaduthuruthy is a small town in Kottayam District, Kerala, South India.- Geography :Kaduturuthy is located at . It has an average elevation of...
a port town then. What amazes readers today is the fact that Kaduthuruthy
Kaduthuruthy
Kaduthuruthy is a small town in Kottayam District, Kerala, South India.- Geography :Kaduturuthy is located at . It has an average elevation of...
is no longer a port town, as the sea receded several miles down apparently following a tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
in 1341. Also, some of the land and water bodies mentioned in the poem are not to be seen now.
The poem is written under the pen-name Amruthanilakshi, and some believe that it was written in 1362 AD. The exact identity of the author remains a mystery, but it is widely believed that one of the members of the Vadakkumkur (Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
) Royal Family wrote it. An annotated version was published by DC Books.