Manorama Thampuratti was an 18th-century
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
scholar. She belonged to Kizhakke Kovilakam of
Kottakkal
Kottakkal (literally-''Land of the Fort'') is a municipal town in Malappuram district in Kerala, southern India having 32 wards. it is a part of Malappuram metropolitan area and a growing city in Kerala. The town is best known for the Arya V ...
, a branch of the
Zamorin
The Samoothiri (Anglicised as Zamorin; Malayalam: , Arabic: ''Sāmuri'', Portuguese: ''Samorim'', Dutch: ''Samorijn'', Chinese: ''Shamitihsi''Ma Huan's Ying-yai Sheng-lan: 'The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores' 433 Translated and Edited b ...
dynasty of
Kozhikode
Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second l ...
. Being a member of the royal family, she was fortunate to get a traditional Sanskrit education, which was not common for women at that time. She mastered the language and so got access to the treasure of knowledge on various ''sastras'' at a young age.
She composed several verses in Sanskrit and was known all over
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
as a gifted
poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...
. However, except for few
shlokas
Shloka or śloka ( sa, श्लोक , from the root , Macdonell, Arthur A., ''A Sanskrit Grammar for Students'', Appendix II, p. 232 (Oxford University Press, 3rd edition, 1927). in a broader sense, according to Monier-Williams's dictionary, is ...
, not much is available of her work.
She was also the contemporary of
(Dharma Raja) Sree Karthika Tirunal Balarama Varma Maharaja of
Travancore
The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...
(1724–98), who had the title '
Dharma Raja
Dharma Raja Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma ( ml, ധർമ്മരാജാ കാർത്തിക തിരുനാൾ രാമവർമ്മ, 1724–17 February 1798) was the Maharajah of Travancore from 1758 until his death in 1798. He s ...
', meaning 'the king of righteousness'. During the time when
Malabar was invaded by
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He i ...
of
Mysore
Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...
, she stayed in exile at Travancore. It was during her exile at Travancore that the king completed the treatise on dramaturgy, viz. ''Balarama Bharatam'', and Manorama Thampuratty offered her comments and suggestions, leading to its fruitful completion.
Her correspondence with king Karthika Tirunal is of historic importance.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thampuratti, Manorama
Indian Sanskrit scholars
Year of birth missing
Year of death missing
18th-century Indian women writers
18th-century Indian writers
Women educators from Kerala
Educators from Kerala
18th-century Indian scholars
Writers from Kozhikode
Indian women scholars
Women writers from Kerala
Scholars from Kerala
18th-century Indian royalty
Indian female royalty