Who was Balamani Amma?

Today's Google Doodle dedicated to Balamani Amma has been created by Kerala-based artist Devika Ramachandran.

[{"selector":"#anim-e5ff7556-8485-47c3-b41c-41b6d5b88c53 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-7.729800306022051%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1605dc1d-0ded-4822-bc84-472683ec0e90","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4991e185-99c0-4101-9cac-5a893e3e887f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 148.60264%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Amma was born in the Thrissur district of Kerala in 1909. He never received any formal education.

[{"selector":"#anim-496f2b6c-efbb-4082-b9e6-cdbb65408cd2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ddbc1090-bf00-43f1-9477-0a7921a538b6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 151.96475%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-edefd4e4-e73e-425a-9e49-09286cc9b126 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(31.371753133717768%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

She was married at the age of 19 to VM Nair, the managing director of the Malayalam newspaper 'Mathrubhumi'.

[{"selector":"#anim-e82a46ea-36a5-4785-8de3-b80de0acd02f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-af3d3018-fa7b-4004-8361-44698f275b6f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 151.96475%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-eafb88fc-b455-4514-ac44-ad7144aedf0a [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(31.249999886225726%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

Balamani Amma's first poem, Koppukai, was published in 1930. This poem was well-liked by the people.

[{"selector":"#anim-83a54793-5d50-4306-b07a-b41d964cea35","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e41207d6-00d5-4a48-b431-32fe77dd04b3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 148.91598%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1e41c983-e856-4b79-b013-97d360cb9561 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(7.858305933210924%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}]

In her early poems, women were presented as powerful figures by adopting mythological characters and stories.

[{"selector":"#anim-30bbadd0-587b-436b-a67b-4456e672e944","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4fd734c1-72ac-4b48-9024-c1257f7505e8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 146.76213%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dd762a7b-862e-4704-8c3f-31582e4f9244 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(7.806472097164625%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

Some of the most famous poems of Amma are: Amma (mother) Muthassi (Grandmother) Mazuvinte Katha (The Story of the Axe).

[{"selector":"#anim-065f0f73-c78e-4698-a44f-7fe67af6c0b5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2537b160-fda5-4153-95fe-0f2ad4b7d733","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 132.54319%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5c3641d0-dc4e-4c56-a547-3ff5cbe12019 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(7.544604519180717%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

Awards/Honors: Amma has been awarded the Saraswati Samman and the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award.

[{"selector":"#anim-fbd2050e-8699-455a-9b56-57f169ae5f90","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-55654a09-1e8c-409e-ae33-4e2300786d33","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 140.11397%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5604b685-9983-421b-af78-2207196a86e1 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(14.583333118426376%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}]

Balamani Amma's daughter Kamala Das was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1984.

[{"selector":"#anim-1c6c5005-3001-4936-b966-6ffe6a7c057d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ee5150ab-7d26-4c02-abec-3bc57c90d8d3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 144.03792%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f723ec16-05cf-40f5-b2db-9524014bec3c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-14.316406033473342%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

Amma was awarded the 'Sahitya Nipun Puraskaram' by Parikshit Thampuran, the former ruler of the Kingdom of Cochin.

[{"selector":"#anim-62e6220c-e9bf-48c2-bd48-fdf57132c231","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dea9458c-8395-4f74-be0e-9cc5b7b3c381","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 159.08831%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c222063b-6a79-44ac-ba2a-7b2e52cf5061 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(8.023437245287852%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}] More Story