Nanjangud Tirumalamba

Nanjanagudu Tirumalamba (1887–1982; also known as Nanjanagud Tirumalamba) was the earliest-age Kannada author, newspaper editor, publisher, and printer who strived for the upliftment of women. She was born on March 25, 1887, to a Brahmin family in Nanjanagudu of the erstwhile state of Mysore under British India. Her father, Venkatakrishna Iyengar, was a lawyer and her mother was Alamelamma. Her mother’s tongue lanwas Tamil. She had a special predilection towards the Kannada language which was the language of the city in which she lived. She knew Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu languages. She died in Nanjanagudu, Mysore, Karanataka, India on August 31, 1982.

Early life
At the custom of her time when child marriage was common, Tirumalamba was married at the age of ten. At the age of fourteen, her husband died, and she became a widow. Venkatakrishna Iyengar, Tirumalamba's father, was a bibliophile who introduced his daughter to a wide range of literary works. In addition to the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Bhagavatha, they read plays by authors such as Nanjanagudu Srikanta Shastri, Bellave Somanathayya, and M. Venkatadri Shastri.

Teacher
In her spare time, Tirumalamba started teaching children from the cross borders of her house which over some time became a school in itself. The children and women from her neighborhood started learning from Tirumalamba after finishing their household chores as early as possible. Thus, her home came to be known as Mathru Mandira. For her favorite students, Tirumalamba started a newspaper called Sanmargadarshini.

During the course of her studies, Tirumalmba habitually wrote down notes of her likings. She used these notes and extended the range of ideas to drama, fiction, stories, and songs. Her Mathru Mandira provided an audience for her writings. Tirumalmba started writing more to deliver this audience.

Writer
A monthly magazine from Mysore called Madhuravani organized a story competition to which Tirumalamba submitted one of her stories. The editor of Madhuravani, K. Hanuman, visited Tirumalamba's house to find the author of the story. There, he discovered a collection of various literary works, including stories, novels, plays, essays, and articles. Impressed by a piece titled Vidhava Kartavya, he published it in Madhuravani.

Despite facing criticism in a society where child marriage was common and widowed women were often secluded, Tirumalamba continued her writing with confidence, supported by her father's blessings and best wishes. Shortly thereafter, she established a publication house called Sathi Hitaishini.

Publisher
Tirumalamba started her own publishing house. From the publication house of Sathi Hitaishini, Tirumalamba's first novel Sushile, was published on 1913. The book was popular and saw four editions, and sold more than 7000 copies.

The Sathi Hitaishini publication house not only published novels by Tirumalamba but also other books such as Sanmarga Granthavali and Sanmarga Grantha Malika by Panyam Sundarashastri and Saraguru Venkata Varadacharya, respectively. Additionally, works like Nandini Granthamala and Science of Decoration by Dr. S. N. Narasimhayya were included in their catalog. The publication also released books like Suksmayurveda Chikitsa Prayoga and Sarala Unipathi Chikisakata by Dr. Srinivas Murthy.

Between 1913 and 1916, Tirumalamba authored eleven books, including Nabha, Vidyullatha, and Harina. In total, Tirumalamba wrote approximately 28 books, spanning various genres such as stories, novels, short novels, detective novels, essays, poems, and plays. Her final novel, ManiMala, was published in 1939.

Newspaper Editor
Tirumalamba established a monthly magazine named Karnataka Nandini. She expressed her intentions to support women through the magazine, stating, "I am a common woman with very little knowledge, lacking the sophistication of urban civilization, but I am committed to assisting my fellow women as much as possible." Despite her humble background, Tirumalamba aimed to empower women through her publication.

Udupi TulasiBai, a poet who later perished, submitted a poem for publication in Karnataka Nandini. Kademgodlu Shankara Bhattaru was another regular contributor to the magazine. A column titled Kannada Rannagannadi was dedicated to individuals advocating for the Kannada language.

Tirumalamba actively encouraged educated women to contribute to Karnataka Nandini, but due to a scarcity of contributors, she assumed various pen names to fill the magazine's columns. However, this effort proved unsustainable, leading to the eventual closure of the magazine.

Death and legacy
Tirumalamba experienced profound grief following her father's death, leading her to become more introspective and focus on philosophical writing. Eventually, she ceased writing altogether.

Tirumalamba passed away at the age of ninety-five on August 31, 1982.

Awards, Honours, Reception
Literary works published by the Sati Hitaisini publication house, including Matrunandini, Chandravadana, and Ramanand, were recognized with awards from the Madras School Book and Literature Society. The Vidyavardhaka Sangha of Karnataka also honored works such as Ramananda and Purnakala. Tirumalamba's writings received recognition and rewards from the governments of Mysore, Madras, and Bombay.

In 1980, Tirumalamba was honored by the Rajya Sahitya Academy. Additionally, from 1917 to nearly two decades thereafter, Tirumalamba's works served as textbooks in schools across the states of Madras, Mysore, and Bombay.

Tirumalamba Award
To commemorate Tirumalamba's legacy, C. N. Mangala established the Shaswathi institution, which presents the Tirumalamba Award to outstanding female writers.

Novels

 * Sushile
 * Nabha
 * Vidyullata
 * Viragini
 * Daksakanye (spy)
 * Manimala

Drama

 * Savitri Charitre
 * Janaki Kalyana