Nanjanagudu Tirumalamba (1887–1982; also known as Nanjanagud Tirumalamba)^[1] 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.^[1] Her father, Venkatakrishna Iyengar, was a lawyer and her mother was Alamelamma. Like the Srivaishnavas of their time, her mother tongue was 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.

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Quick Facts Nanjanagudu Tirumalamba, Born ...

Nanjanagudu Tirumalamba
Born	Nanjanagudu Tirumalamba (1887-03-25)25 March 1887 Nanjanagudu, Mysore State, British India (now in Mysore, Karnataka, India)
Died	31 August 1982(1982-08-31) (aged 95) Nanjanagudu, Mysore, Karnataka,India.
Occupation(s)	Kannada Writer, Political activist, feminist, poet-writer, Publisher, Newspaper Editor, Printer
Parent(s)	Venkatakrishna Iyengar, Alamelamma

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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.^[1][2] Venkatakrishna Iyengar, her father, was a bibliophile, and read the best of works to his daughter. Apart from Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavatha, they read plays named Nanjanagudu Srikanta Shastri, Bellave Somanathayya, M. Venkatadri Shastri and others widely.

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.

A monthly magazine from Mysore called “Madhuravani” organized a story competition to which Tirumalamba sent in one of her stories. The editor of “Madhuravani”, Mr K. Hanuman, came looking for the writer of this story to Tirumalamba's house. There, he saw a treasure of several such beautiful pieces of writing. He found several stories, novels, plays, essays and a variety of articles in that house. He got influenced by a writing named “Vidhava Kartavya” and published the same in “ Madhuravani”. In times of untouchable society where child marriage was common, and widowed women were secluded, Tirumalamba received criticisms from many counterparts. However, Tirumalamba continued to do what she felt was right with confidence. To all of this, Tirumalamba had the blessings and best wishes of her father. Shortly after, Tirumalamba started writing “Sathi Hitaishini”, a publication house.

Tirumalamba started her own publishing house.^[1] 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 did not only publish Tirumalamba's novels but other books such as “Sanmarga Granthavali”, “Sanmarga Grantha Malika”, “Nandini Granthamala”, (by Panyam Sundarashastri, Saraguru Venkata Varadacharya respectively), book that spoke about aims, and features called “Science of Decoration” (by Dr. S. N. Narasimhayya), books called “Suksmayurveda Chikitsa Prayoga”, “Sarala Unipathi Chikisakata” (by Dr. Srinivas Murthy) were published. Tirumalamba possessed such a great attitude. During 1913-16 Tirumalamba's eleven books including “Nabha”, “Vidyullatha”, “Harina” were published. Not excluding stories, novels, short novels, detective novels, essays, poems, plays, the total number of books that Tirumalamba wrote was approximately 28. In 1939, Tirumalamba wrote her last novel, titled “ManiMala”.

Tirumalamba started a monthly magazine called “Karnataka Nandini”. “I am a common woman with very less cognition who did not know the scent of knowledge. I do not have the sophistication of the urban civilization nor do I have a clue about the knowledge that the urban people seemed to possess, however, I do want to help the sorority as much as possible which is the idea that I cannot let go” were the words uttered by Tirumalamba who gave this special gift of monthly magazine to the woman kind. One of the writers who sent a poem to be published in “Karnataka Nandini” who died in the whirlpool was Udupi TulasiBai. Kademgodlu Shankara Bhattaru regularly sent some of his works to “Karnataka Nandini”. Within the magazine, there was a column called “Kannada Rannagannadi” which was reserved for people who fought for Kannada. Tirumalamba invited educated women to contribute to “Karnataka Nandini”. Since there were very few writers whom you could count on your fingers, Tirumalamba herself assumed different pen names to fill the columns of the magazine. Owing to which, Tirumalamba could not sustain the magazine and had to shut down the magazine.

Tirumalamba's father's death shocked her immensely. She turned more introverted and set her attention to philosophical writing until she was unable to write more.

Tirumalamba died at the age of ninety five years on 31 August 1982.^[2]

Literary works that came out of the publication house “Sati hitaisini” such as “Matrunandini”, “Chandravadana”, “Ramanand” received prize from the Madras School Book and Literature Society. Karnataka's Vidyavardhaka Sangha honored the works “Ramananda” and “Purnakala”. Mysore, Madras, Bombay governments rewarded several works of Tirumalamba. In the year 1980, the Rajya Sahitya Academy honored Tirumalamba.

Since 1917 for almost two decades, Tirumalamba's works became text books in schools of Madras, Mysore, and Bombay states.

To immortalize Tirumalamba, C. N. Mangala founded the “Shaswathi” institution that confers “ Tirumalamba Award” to one of the good woman writers.^[2][3]

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

• Savitri Charitre
• Janaki Kalyana

• Indian literature
• List of Indian writers
• List of Indian women writers