Kamala Das

 Kamala das-Indian English poetess

Birth and parentage of Kamala Das

Kamala das is one of India's foremost poets, was born in Malabar in Kerala on march 31, 1934. She is the daughter of V.M. Nair. He was the editor  of Malayalam daily 'Mathrubhumi'and her mother is Nalapatti Balamani Amma, a renowned malayali poetess.

Kamala Das' maiden name was Madhavikutty. She is probably the first Hindu woman to openly and honestly talk about sexual desire of Indian women.

 Education of kamla Das

Kamala das received her education largely at home and was denied the privilege of regular school and college education. Her parents deprived her from the atmosphere of institutions.

 Married life of Kamala Das

At the early age of 15 she was married to K.  Madhava Das. Her married life was not a bed of roses and hence an unhappy Union. According to her marriage is male dominated institution. The result of this unhappy was frustration and disenchantment from life which is  very evident in her poetry. Though her husband is kind and friendly person who gave her freedom of everything but  she wants love not freedom. It was the failure of her marriage that compelled her to enter into extramarital sexual relationships in search of the kind of love, that we can see in her poetry.

She has three sons, her husband often played a fatherly role for both the Kamala Das and her sons. 

A brief survey of Kamala Das' writings

Kamala Das is a bilingual poet who writes in her native Malayalam and English with equal ease, mastery and command. Aur poetic output consists of three volumes of poetry-

• Summer in Calcutta (1965)
• The descendants (1967)
• The old playhouse (1974)

She has been contributing to various journals and magazines including-

• Opinion
• Debonair
• Poetry East and West
• Imprint
• Femina
• The illustrated weekly of India
• Love and friendship
• Eve's weekly round table.

Love, sex and her confessional life are the main subjects and theme of her English poetry.

Writings in Malayalam

Kamala Das is one of the foremost short story writers in Malayalam.

• Pakshiyude maranam
• Neypayasam
• Thanuppu
• Chandana Marangal
• Neermathalam portha kalam(novel)

These are some famous Malayalam writings of Kamala Das.

Awards and other recognitions

Kamala Das has received many awards for her literary contribution. Some of them are:

• Asian poetry prize for her work
• Kent award for English writing from Asian countries
• Asan world prize
• Ezhuthachan award
• Sahitya academy award
• Vayalar award
• Kerala sahitya academy award

Her works are available in French Spanish Russian German and Japanese. She has also held positions as vice chairperson in Kerala sahitya academy.

Conversion to Islam

Kamla Das born in a conservative Hindu Nair family, she embraced Islam in 1999 at the age of 65 and assumed the name Kamala suraiya.

She was also active in politics in India and has launched AAP political party known as the Lok Seva party.

Her death- 2009