Short Biography
Balamani Amma was born on 19-07-1909 in Punnayurkulam, Thrissur in the state of Kerala, India. She was an Indian Poet, Writer & Author who awarded Padma Bhushan in 1987 for her contribution to Literature & Education.
Balamani Amma Complete Bio & Career
Nalapat Balamani Amma was a famous Indian poet, and prolific writer, known for her writings in Malayalam. She was called as "poetess of motherhood".She didn’t attend any school. Her maternal uncle’s books helped her and she was influenced by the poet Vallathol Narayana Menon. She was blessed with writing skills. Her work includes more than twenty anthologies of poems, translations, and prose works. She started writing poems at a very young age. "Kooppukai" was her first poem which was published in 1930. She rose to fame and people started knowing her when she received the ‘Sahithya Nipuna Puraskaram’ award from the former ruler of the Kingdom of Cochin, Parikshith Thampuran. Her collection of poems from the year 1959 to 1986 was published under the title ‘Nivedyam ‘.She also wrote an elegy on her inspiration and uncle, poet Nalapat Narayana Menon’s death.
Kudumbini, Dharmamargathil, Sthree Hridayam, Prabhankuram, Bhavanayil, Oonjalinmel, Kalikkotta, Velichathil, Avar Paadunnu, Pranamam, Lokantharangalil, Sopanam, Muthassi, Mazhuvinte Katha, Ambalathilekku, Nagarathil, Veyilaarumbol, Amruthamgamaya, Sandhya, To My Daughter, and Kulakkad are her poems. She was honored with a number of awards for her contribution to literature including the Vallathol Award, Kerala Sahithya Akademi Award, Lalithambika Antharjanam Award, Saraswati Samman, Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award, N. V. Krishna WarrierAward, and Ezhuthachan Award. She also received India’s 3rd highest civilian honor,’ Padma Bhushan’. She received the titles ‘Amma ‘ and ‘Muthassi ‘ for her poetry on love for kids. Her son Kamala Das translated her poem, "The Pen".The poem describes a mother’s loneliness.
Balamani Amma Family, Relatives and Other Relations
|
Father |
Chittanjoor Kunhunni Raja |
|
Mother |
Nalapat Kochukutti Amma |
|
Siblings |
Not Known |
|
Husband |
V. M. Nair |
|
Daughters |
Sulochana Nalapat, Kamala Surayya |
|
Sons |
Shyam Sunder, Mohandas |
She was born to Nalapat Kochukutti Amma and Chittanjoor Kunhunni Raja. Poet Nalapat Narayana Menon was her maternal uncle. When she was only 19 years old, she was married to V. M. Nair, the managing editor & managing director of the widely circulated Malayalam newspaper ‘Mathrubhumi’. Her husband passed away in 1977. The couple was blessed with four children including two sons named Shyam Sunder, Mohandas, and two daughters named Sulochana Nalapat & Kamala Surayya Das, a well-known writer. She was the grandmother of famous author Madhav Das Nalapat.
