Balamani Amma: Google doodle pays tribute to the Malayalam poet on her 113th birth anniversary

Screenshot of Google`s doodle on July 19. Image credit: Google

A Google doodle celebrating the life and works of Indian poet Balamani Amma on July 19 has piqued curiosity among poetry enthusiasts about her writings and contributions to the Malayalam literature. The doodle has been illustrated by Kerala-based artist Devika Ramachandran for Amma's 113th birth anniversary.

Born in 1909 at Nalappat, Amma spent most of her lifetime in the Malabar district of British India and learnt to read and write Malayalam at home under the tutelage of her maternal uncle. Amma never received any formal training in education and went on to publish over 20 anthologies of poems, prose and translations during her lifetime.

Her first poem ‘Kooppukai', written in 1930, earned her the Sahithya Nipuna Puraskaram from the then ruler of the kingdom of Cochin, Parikshith Thampura. She was 21 years old then and was recognised as a gifted poet with her first piece of writing. ‘Amma' (Mother), ‘Muthassi' (Grandmother), and ‘Mazhuvinte Katha' (The story of the Axe) are her most well-known works. The poem 'Amma' earned her the titles of ‘amma' and ‘muthassi' of Malayalam literature. She is also a recipient of honours like Padma Bhushan, Saraswati Samman, Sahitya Akademi Award, and Ezhuthachan Award.

Growing up in a family, where reading was a tradition, Amma's earliest engagements with literature came through her maternal uncle and his rich library. According to Google, owing to her interests in Indian mythology, Amma's poetry was greatly inspired by women figures from these stories.

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Through her writings, she explored Indian culture, tradition and society. She portrayed women characters from mythologies as powerful figures in her poems and weaved the traditional understanding of the role of a woman in her own unique way.

As a young poet, she was greatly influenced by Nalapat Narayana Menon and Vallathol Narayana Menon, who were also Malayalam poets. She has also written ‘Lokantharangalil', an elegy on Nalapat NM's death, in 1955.

Amma's daughter Kamala Surayya, mainly known as Kamala Das, was a well-known poet and novelist, who wrote both in English and Malayalam languages, and was also nominated for the Nobel Prize in literature in 1984. Das is known for her writings on women's issues, politics, access to health and child care.

Fellow writers describe Amma as the ‘prophet of human glory' and have also considered her works to be inclined towards Gandhian beliefs. Diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, Amma passed away on September 29, 2004.

While the Google remembers Amma, poetry enthusiasts must check out her collections to know more about her life and work.