THAT NEERMATHALAM WILL NEVER BLOOM AGAIN.........

31st May,2009
sunday
11.30p.m

A FORAL TRIBUTE

FROM THE LAND OF

PUNNAYOORKULAM

dear friends,

yesterday,after reading the article on KAMALA DAS based on the recent visit of leela menon and sarada rajeev in grihalakshmi,i discussed about the great writer with amma, for along time.but,not even in the wildest dream,i thought ,i will wake up into the sad news that my beloved writer passed away today early morning at 1.55a.m at jahangeer hospital in pune.i don't know why, amma and myself were awake till 2 a.m today.we slept very late.we were disturbed as sleep was far away.i was remembering fondly the meeting of friends after a long span of time!and far away,in a hospital in pune,my dearest poetess breathed her last.her eyes were closed for ever!

Right from childhood madhavikutty was my favourite writer not because she belonged to punnayoorkulam,my achan's hometown,but for her unique style of writing.it was always my dream to write and act without any inhibitions and hesitations.but,i never did dare;and whenever i had guts,my people,traditions and culture blocked me from opening up.as a college student,Madhavikutty was my role model.i had adopted acheerful and hilarious attitude towards life.A new and exciting world of loveliness opened before me.

born as madhavikutty in punnayoorkulam,malabar,kerala,she is the daughter of late shri.V.M .NAIR-ex.managing director of Mathrubhumi and the renowned writer, Nalappat Balamaniyamma.she was Aami to her dear ones.Aami spent her childhood in Kolkatta and the famous Nalappat ancestoral home in Punnayoorkulam.she was influenced by her great uncle,Nalappat Narayana Menon, a prominent writer.i just love the name aami![and will you believe,unexpectedly i came across a friend from this place and his wife is aami!]how happy i was to call her by that name!

another friend of mine who is a great fan of Madhavikutty named her daughter abhirami and calls her aami.

Madhavikutty's first book was,Summer in Calcutta.at the age of fortytwo,she published her autobiography,MY STORY which was translated into many foreign languages.i don,t know howmany times i have read that controversial book.Kamala das is famous for her short stories and her autobiography.she honestly discussed and wrote about the sexual desires of indian women.right from the servants of Nalappatu tharavadu to the high-society people inspired her to write the stories.her famous stories are,

Pakshiyude Manam,Neypayasam,Thanuppu,Chandana Marangal.she wrote a few novels among which Neermathalam Pootha Kalam was well received by the public and the crtics alike.and with all love and respects ,the famous writer Sara joseph planted a neermathalam in her courtyard;really touching.

i'm sure a writer never dies.she/he lives through the words in the hearts of the public for ever.

Madhavikutty's Balyakala smaranakal [childhood memories] is simply beautiful.one won't keep the book down till he reaches the last line of it.the simple and straightforward language is amazing.she didn't bother about the society.she was always honest.and for that she was unjustly criticized.nothing changed the intensity of my feelings for her!i didn't miss a chance of knowing her better.i was madly attracted to Aami.

our punnayoorkulam is gifted by natural beauty.and the neermathalam plant of her landed property is world famous,by now.the nagaraja ,the pond and the numerous plants are a feast to the onlookers.ispent my summer holidays in achan's house and i was always proud to say everyone that the world famous writer,Madhavikutty lived in our neighbourhood.Aami got married to Das in this tharavadu.this ancestoral house is demolished now,exactly eleven years before.she used to open the windows of her room to enjoy the fragrance of neermathalam flowers!the plant was a part of her life!

saying good bye to cochin was painful for Kamala das.after shifting to pune to her youngest son,i was really desperate to get her whereabouts.as we were getting pravasi shabdham magazine,i was kept updated.

Kamala Das travelled extensively to read poetry in different universities.she read and the public listend to the words from her heart.

Madhavikutty's husband Mr.Das is no more.she is blessed with three sons and grandchildren!she always wanted her people around her and longed to experience their love!without gender difference and age difference she won the hearts of people all over the world.

Born in a conservative Hindu Nair family having royal ancestory,she ebraced Islam in 1999 at the age of 65and assumed the name Kamala Surayya.i was shocked along with the world.but i got over it within no time.

A great personality like Kamala Das,who is kind,considerate,broadminded,generous and to top it all,so loving influenced me a lot. she is such a beautiful,charming and attractive lady!Aami reminds me a model of RAJA RAVI VARMA PAINTING!i admire alot.to me she was and will be a stunning beauty!

My dearest writer,Aamy is coming back to her beloved land and thousands of people who love her wholeheartedly wait to witness the last journey...........how peaceful the face is!how soft the words were!a real human being who gave away everything she had to the people who approached her!how blessed her life is!the great and famous mother and daughter of Nalappattu Tharavadu!but both of them lived in different world.

Aami,i wanted to hold your hands and tell you,''i love you''.i wanted to see the glow in your eyes.innocence reflected on her face!

with a heavy heart ,tears in my eyes,with respects in my heart, i pray that let the departed soul rest in peace!

KAMALA DAS-31ST MARCH,1934_31st MAY,2009

it's anu signing off................

''I shall pass this way but once;any good,therefore,that i can do or any kindness that i can show to any human being,let me do it now.Let me not defer nor neglect it,for i shall not pass this way again''.

please see that love and peace prevail.let's forget and forgive.

sasneham,

anu