Malayalam is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was designated a "Classical Language of India" in 2013. Malayalam has official language status in Kerala, Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé), and is also the primary spoken language of Lakshadweep and is spoken by 35 million people in India. Malayalam is also spoken by linguistic minorities in the neighbouring states; with a significant number of speakers in the Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada districts of Karnataka, and Kanyakumari, Coimbatore and Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu. It is also spoken by the Malayali Diaspora worldwide, especially in the Persian Gulf countries, due to the large populations of Malayali expatriates there. They are a significant population in each city in India including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad etc.
Malayalam, the lingua franca of the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puduchery, is one of the six classical languages of India. Malayalam literature comprises those literary texts written in Malayalam, a South-Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala. The first travelogue in any Indian language is the Malayalam Varthamanappusthakam, written by Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar in 1785. Malayalam literature has been presented with 6 Jnanapith awards, the second-most for any Dravidian language and the third-highest for any Indian language.
Leela Nambudiripad, known by her pen name Sumangala, was an Indian author of children's literature in Malayalam. Some of her notable works included Neypaayasam, Mithayippoti, as well as translations of the Panchatantra into Malayalam.
O M C Narayanan Nambudiripad, an eminent Sanskrit scholar was born to the famous Nambudiri family of Olappamanna Mana on 24 June 1910 in Vellinezhi. He is known for his translation into Malayalam of the Rigveda. This work titled Rigveda Bhasha Bhashyam is an exhaustive interpretative analysis of the Rigveda alternatively known as Deviprasadam. After his death on 4 April 1989 aged 79, a trust was constituted in his memory. The Deviprasadam Trust at Olappamanna Mana hands out awards annually to honour masters in Sanskrit, Vedas, Malayalam literature and Kathakali.
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature.
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature.
Moothiringode Bhavathrāthan Namboothiripad was a Malayalam author who is known for his work Aphante Makal which had great social relevance in pre-independent Kerala society.
Perunnelli Krishnan Vaidyar (1863-1894) was follower and a friend to Sree Narayana Guru and a Malayalam poet from the state of Kerala. He was born in an Ezhava family of central Travancore. He belonged to an era called Venmani School of Malayala Literature.
Velutheri Kesavan Vaidyar(1858–1896) was a Malayalam poet; Sanskrit scholar and Ayurveda physician from the state of Kerala, India.
Venmani Vishnu Nambudiripad was an early 19th-century Malayalam poet belonging to the well known Venmani family. He was the uncle of famous Venmani Achhan Nambudiripad. He was also involved in religious and philosophical pursuits. Some of his works include Ganapath Praathal, Raghuvamsam and Samsariyute Paaraavasyam.
Venmani Mahan Nambudiripad (1844-1893) was a famous Malayalam poet of the Venmani Illam and one of the main literary figures of the Venmani Movement of Malayalam Literature.
The Venmani School of poets were involved in a movement in Malayalam Literature also known as the Venmani Movement. The style of poetry was pioneered by members of the Venmani Illam of Kodungalloor in the 19th century.
Poonthottam Achhan Nambudiri was a poet of the Venmani School of Malayalam Literature.
Poonthottam Mahan Nambudiri (1857-1946) was a poet from the Venmani School of Malayalam Literature.
Seevolli Narayanan Nambudiri (1868–1905) was a well-known Malayali poet of the Venmani style, who was also an Ayurvedic physician.
Olappamanna Mana Subramanian Namboothirippad, better identified by his family name, Olappamanna , was an Indian poet of Malayalam literature. A former chairman of Kerala Kalamandalam and an author of 20 books of poetry, his poems were noted for their explicit social expressions. He received two awards from Kerala Sahitya Academy and another from Kendra Sahitya Academy, besides honours such as Government of Madras Poetry Prize, Odakkuzhal Award, N. V. Puraskaram, Asan Smaraka Kavitha Puraskaram and Ulloor Award.
Kodungallur Kovilakam, is a palace of the royal family of the late [medieval] Kingdom of Kodungallur (Cranganore), in the modern-day Indian state of Kerala. Kodungallur was a feudal principality subordinate to the rulers of the Kingdom of Cochin from the later half of the eighteenth century until Indian independence. The Kingdom of Kodungallur was under the protection of the Dutch government after 1707 for a few years before returning to its allegiance to the Zamorin. The Kodungallur Royal Family had two branches, at Chirakkal Kovilakam and Puthen Kovilakam.
Kodungallur Kunjikkuttan Thampuran was a Malayalam poet and prominent Sanskrit scholar of Kerala. His birth-name was Rama Varma. He is famous for his single-handed, word-by-word translation of entire Mahabharata within 874 days for which he gained the epithet Kerala Vyasa.
Moothiringode Chithrabhanu Nambudiripad was a pioneer of popular science writing in Malayalam language and an eminent translator. He was one of the founders of popular science movement in Kerala State, India. He was conferred several awards for his writing and translation, and for contribution to society.
Oduvil Kunhikrishna Menon was a Malayalam–language poet, short-story writer, journalist and literary critic from Kerala, India. Menon was associated with the Venmani School of Malayalam poetry and was also a major figure in early prose literature. Along with Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar, Moorkoth Kumaran, Chenkulath Cheriya Kunhirama Menon, C. S. Gopala Panicker and Ambadi Narayana Poduval, Kunhikrishna Menon is regarded as a pioneer of the short story in Malayalam literature.
