Vijayarajamallika | |
---|---|
Born | Manu J Krishnan 1 March 1985 Muthuvara, Thrissur, Kerala, India |
Occupation | Writer, activist, teacher |
Nationality | Indian |
Alma mater | |
Notable works |
|
Spouse | Jashim |
Vijayarajamallika, known as Daivathinte Makal, is a transgender poet in Malayalam literature, [1] She is a writer, teacher, social worker, inspirational speaker, and activist.
Vijayarajamallika was born in 1985 at Muthuvara, Thrissur district, Kerala, India, to Kaniyamkonatth Veettil Y. Krishnan, a retired superintendent of Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB); and Jaya Krishnan, a teacher. [2]
Her primary education was at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Puranattukara. [2] She completed a bachelor of arts degree in English Literature and History from St. Thomas College, Thrissur with the second rank from the University of Calicut in 2005. [2] In 2009 she completed Master of Social Work (MSW) from Rajagiri College of Social Sciences. [2] [3]
Vijayarajamallika describes herself as being "a woman in my heart…even though I was in the male body". [2] Vijayarajamallika is an intersex person with Klinefelter syndrome or 47 XXY, which she discovered at the age of 32 after doing Karyotyping from Government Medical College, Kozhikode. [4] She says that "knowing that she is an intersex is the proudest moment in her life" [2] [4]
She was married to Jashim, a software engineer. It was a controversial love marriage. The parents and relatives of Jashim were opposed to the marriage which was held in the office of Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad state committee at Thrissur. [5] [6]
Daivathinte Makal (Daughter of God), her first collection of poetry, has been included in the syllabus of a course at the Department of Malayalam at Madras University. [7] [8] The poem, "Maranantharam" from Daivathinte Makal was included in the curriculum of Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, [9] and another poem, "Neelambari" from Daivathinte Makal, was included in the curriculum of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit. [9] "Maranantharam" a notable poem from this book was translated into English by N. P. Ashley and was published in the book The World that Belongs to Us by Harper Collins. [10] [11] [12]
Vijayarajamallika is the founder of Sahaj International, India's first transgender alternative learning center [13] [14] [15] [16] which worked in collaboration with the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) at Kochi. She winded up Sahaj International as Kerala Government incorporated transgender education through the Kerala State Literacy Mission.
Aan Nadhi (Male River), her second poetry collection, was published by Mythri Books Thiruvanathapuram. It describes the life and struggles of LGBTIAQ+ people with special reference to transgender and Intersex communities. [1] Aan Nadhi was significant in contributing ten new words to Malayalam Literature.[ citation needed ]
Vijayarajamallika's autobiography Mallikavasantham is the first transgender autobiography in Malayalam literature. [17] [3] She won the Swami Vivekanadhan Yuva Prathibha Award for literature in 2019 [18] instituted by the Kerala State Youth Welfare Board for this autobiography. [19] It also bagged the first ever Leela Menon literary award in the category of autobiography. [20] [21]
"Aanalla Pennalla Kanmani nee" [22] is a lullaby penned by Vijayarajamallika [23] which is reported to be the first intersex lullaby [24] [25] in the history of World Literature.
Daivathinte Makal won the Yuvakala Sahithi Vayalar Award in 2019. [26] The State of Kerala has honored her for her contributions and achievements [27] in the field of literature from the transgender community during the ‘Varnapakittu 2019 [28] ’, the first-ever transgender arts festival organized by the social justice department.
Ormayil Ragini [29] is an yearly event organized by Vijayarajamallika in memory of actress Ragini. [30]
Vayalar Ramavarma, also known as Vayalar, was an Indian poet and lyricist of Malayalam language. He was known for his poems which include Sargasangeetham, Mulankaadu, Padamudrakal, Aayisha and Oru Judas janikkunnu and for around 1,300 songs he penned for 256 Malayalam films. He received the National Film Award for Best Lyrics in 1972 and was the winner of the Kerala State Film Award for Best Lyricist in its year of inception which he received three more times. He was also a recipient of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Poetry in 1962. His collaborations with G. Devarajan produced the golden era of Malayalam film music and many songs written and composed by these duo remain the ever green classics in Malayalam. Ramavarma is regarded as one of the most successful and critically acclaimed lyricist in the history of Malayalam cinema.
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Koloth Thattarath Sukumaran, popularly known as Sukumar Azhikode was an Indian academic, orator, critic and writer of Malayalam literature, known for his contributions to Malayalam language and insights on Indian philosophy. He was a scholar in Sanskrit, Malayalam, and English languages and his work, Tatvamasi, published in 1984, is a notable work for its detailed interpretation of Indian philosophy, Vedas and Upanishads. He was a recipient of several honours including Sahitya Akademi Award, Kerala Sahithya Akademi Award, Vayalar Award, Vallathol Award and Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, the highest literary award of the Government of Kerala. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri in 2007, which he refused citing the award was a discrimination.
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Vishnunarayanan Namboothiri was an Indian writer and scholar of Malayalam literature. Known primarily for his poems, Namboothiri also contributed to other genres such as essays, translations and children's literature. Swathanthrathe Kurichu Oru Geetham, Bhoomigeethangal, Indiayenna Vikaaram and Charulata count among his notable works. The Government of India honored him with the fourth highest civilian award of the Padma Shri in 2014 and the Government of Kerala awarded him the Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, the highest literary award in Malayalam, the same year. He was also a recipient of Vayalar Award, Vallathol Award, Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Overall Contributions, Asan Prize, Sahitya Akademi Award and Odakkuzhal Award.
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