Balamani Amma, grandmother of Malayalam literature

Google Doodle celebrated the 113th birthday of famous Indian poet Balamani Amma, known as the grandmother of Malayalam literature.

About Balamani Amma:

• Balamani Amma, the grandmother of Malayalam literature, was born on 19 July 1909 in Thrissur district.
• She continues to be known as the ‘amma’ (mother) and ‘muthassi’ (grandmother), of Malayalam poetry.
• Balamani Amma never received any formal education.
  • She was taught at home by her uncle Nalappat Narayana Menon, who was also a famous Malayali poet.
• Balamani Amma was also the mother of Kamala Das.
  • Kamala Das was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1984.
• She passed away in 2004 and was cremated with full state honours.

Work:

• Her first poem, titled Kooppukai, was published in
• Her most famous works include Amma (1934), Muthassi (1962), and Mazhuvinte Katha (The Story of the Axe) (1966).

Recognition:

• Amma was the recipient of various awards and honours like the
  • Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian honour, in 1987;
  • the Sahitya Akademi Award for Muthassi in 1965;
  • the Saraswati Samman for Nivedyam in 1995
• The Kochi International Book Fair gives a cash prize for writers in her name, the Balamani Amma Award.