Google doodle celebrates the 113th birthday of Balamani Amma

Balamani Amma is a famous Indian poet who was known as the grandmother of Malayalam literature. She was born in Nalapat, her ancestral home in Punnayurkulam located in the Thrissur district on this day in 1909. She was a recipient of countless awards for her poetry including the Saraswati Samman—the nation’s most esteemed literary award and Padma Vibhushan — second-highest civilian award of the Republic of India. Amma never received any formal education. But was instead schooled at home by her uncle Nalappat Narayana Menon. Nalappat Narayana Menon was also a popular Malayali poet. He had an impressive collection of books and works that Amma studied at a young age. At 19, she married V.M. Nair, the managing director and managing editor of Mathrubhumi, a Malayalam newspaper. In 1930, at the age of 21, Amma published her first poem titled Kooppukai. Her first recognition as a gifted poet came from the former ruler of the Kingdom of Cochin, Parikshith Thampuran. Parikshith Thampuran awarded her with the Sahithya Nipuna Puraskaram.