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== Biography ==
== Biography ==
[[File:Sister mary benigna poems.jpg|thumb|235px|A poem of Sister Mary Benigna]]
[[File:Sister mary benigna poems.jpg|thumb|235px|A poem of Sister Mary Benigna]]
Sister Mary Benigna, née Mary John Thottam, was born on 24 June 1901 at [[Elanji]], a small village near [[Koothattukulam]], in [[Ernakulam district]] in the south Indian state of [[Kerala]] to John Thottam and Pattasseril Mariam.<ref name="Biography on Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal">{{Cite web |url=http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/sp/Writers/PROFILES/SisterMaryBeninja/Html/Beneenjagraphy.htm |title=Biography on Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal |date=2019-04-23 |website=Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal |access-date=2019-04-23}}</ref> Her early education was in the traditional way with a local teacher and later she did her formal education at Mutholi Convent School from where she passed the vernacular school leaving certificate (7th standard) to start her career as a teacher at St. Thomas Primary School, [[North Paravur]].<ref name="Women Writers of Kerala">{{Cite web |url=http://womenwritersofkerala.com/author.php?author_id=340 |title=Women Writers of Kerala |date=2019-04-24 |website=womenwritersofkerala.com |access-date=2019-04-24}}</ref> She took a break from service after 2 years pursue higher studies in Malayalam and after passing Malayalam higher examination, she returned to Paravur to teach at the English Middle School there. She moved to the Convent Middle School in [[Kuravilangad]] in 1922 as a teacher where she became the headmistress the next year.<ref name="Author Details">{{Cite web |url=http://www.puzha.com/malayalam/bookstore/cgi-bin/author-detail.cgi?code=1841 |title=Author Details |date=2019-04-24 |website=www.puzha.com |access-date=2019-04-24}}</ref>
Sister Mary Benigna, née Mary John Thottam, was born on 24 June 1901 at [[Elanji]], a small village near [[Koothattukulam]], in [[Ernakulam district]] in the south Indian state of [[Kerala]] to John Thottam and Pattasseril Mariam.<ref name="Biography on Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal">{{Cite web |url=http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/sp/Writers/PROFILES/SisterMaryBeninja/Html/Beneenjagraphy.htm |title=Biography on Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal |date=2019-04-23 |website=Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal |access-date=2019-04-23}}</ref> Her early education was in the traditional way with a local teacher and later she did her formal education at Mutholi Convent School from where she passed the vernacular school leaving certificate (7th standard) to start her career as a teacher at St. Thomas Primary School, [[North Paravur]].<ref name="Women Writers of Kerala">{{Cite web |url=http://womenwritersofkerala.com/author.php?author_id=340 |title=Women Writers of Kerala |date=2019-04-24 |website=womenwritersofkerala.com |access-date=2019-04-24}}</ref> She took a break from service after 2 years pursue higher studies in Malayalam and after passing Malayalam higher examination, she returned to Paravur to teach at the English Middle School there. She moved to the Convent Middle School in [[Kuravilangad]] in 1922 as a teacher where she became the headmistress the next year.<ref name="Author Details">{{Cite web |url=http://www.puzha.com/malayalam/bookstore/cgi-bin/author-detail.cgi?code=1841 |title=Author Details |date=2019-04-24 |website=www.puzha.com |access-date=2019-04-24 |archive-date=9 March 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080309113320/http://www.puzha.com/malayalam/bookstore/cgi-bin/author-detail.cgi?code=1841 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


Thottam's first work, a poetry anthology titled ''Geethavali'', was released in 1927 which had the foreword written by [[Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer]], the noted poet.<ref name="Women Writers of Kerala" /> This was followed by several works which include two epics viz. ''Marthoma Vijayam'' and ''Gandhi Jayanthi'', 10 [[Khanta Kavyam|khandakavyams]] and over 350 poems compiled in a number of anthologies.<ref name="Mystic Poet Sister Benigna">{{Cite web |url=http://varghesepaul.org/mystic-poet-sister-benigna/ |title=Mystic Poet Sister Benigna |last=Paul |first=Fr Varghese |last2=S.J |date=2019-04-25 |language=en-US |access-date=2019-04-25}}</ref> Besides, she also published four books of prose and a translation.<ref name="List of works">{{Cite web |url=http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/sp/Writers/PROFILES/Sahityapanchananan/Html/SahityapanchanananBooks.htm |title=List of works |date=2019-04-23 |website=Kerala Sahitya Akademi |access-date=2019-04-23}}</ref> She was one of the pioneers of women writers in Malayalam language<ref name="NatarajanNelson1996-1">{{cite book|author1=Nalini Natarajan|author2=Emmanuel Sampath Nelson|title=Handbook of Twentieth-century Literatures of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1lTnv6o-d_oC&pg=PA196|year=1996|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-313-28778-7|page=196}}</ref> and her book, ''Kavitharamam'' (A Garden of Poems), published in 1929 sold over 100,000 copies, making it a best seller of the times.<ref name="NatarajanNelson1996-2">{{cite book|author1=Nalini Natarajan|author2=Emmanuel Sampath Nelson|title=Handbook of Twentieth-century Literatures of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1lTnv6o-d_oC&pg=PA197|year=1996|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-313-28778-7|pages=197–}}</ref> ''Lokame Yatra'' (Farewell to the World), one of the poems in the anthology, was an autobiographical poem related to her becoming a nun.<ref name="TharuLalita1991">{{cite book|author1=Susie J. Tharu|author2=Ke Lalita|title=Women Writing in India: The twentieth century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OjZYf9Xf9bcC&pg=PA635|year=1991|publisher=Feminist Press at CUNY|isbn=978-1-55861-029-3|pages=635–}}</ref> [[Pope Paul VI]] honoured her with the [[Benemerenti medal]] in 1971 and she was also honoured by the Catholic Laity Association in 1981.<ref name="Author Details" />
Thottam's first work, a poetry anthology titled ''Geethavali'', was released in 1927 which had the foreword written by [[Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer]], the noted poet.<ref name="Women Writers of Kerala" /> This was followed by several works which include two epics viz. ''Marthoma Vijayam'' and ''Gandhi Jayanthi'', 10 ''Khantakavyams'' and over 350 poems compiled in several anthologies.<ref name="Mystic Poet Sister Benigna">{{Cite web |url=http://varghesepaul.org/mystic-poet-sister-benigna/ |title=Mystic Poet Sister Benigna |last=Paul |first=Fr Varghese |last2=S.J |date=2019-04-25 |language=en-US |access-date=2019-04-25}}</ref> Besides, she also published four books of prose and a translation.<ref name="List of works">{{Cite web |url=http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/sp/Writers/PROFILES/Sahityapanchananan/Html/SahityapanchanananBooks.htm |title=List of works |date=2019-04-23 |website=Kerala Sahitya Akademi |access-date=2019-04-23}}</ref> She was one of the pioneers of women writers in Malayalam language<ref name="NatarajanNelson1996-1">{{cite book|author1=Nalini Natarajan|author2=Emmanuel Sampath Nelson|title=Handbook of Twentieth-century Literatures of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1lTnv6o-d_oC&pg=PA196|year=1996|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-313-28778-7|page=196}}</ref> and her book, ''Kavitharamam'' (A Garden of Poems), published in 1929 sold over 100,000 copies, making it a best seller of the times.<ref name="NatarajanNelson1996-2">{{cite book|author1=Nalini Natarajan|author2=Emmanuel Sampath Nelson|title=Handbook of Twentieth-century Literatures of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1lTnv6o-d_oC&pg=PA197|year=1996|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-313-28778-7|pages=197–}}</ref> ''Lokame Yatra'' (Farewell to the World), one of the poems in the anthology, was an autobiographical poem related to her becoming a nun.<ref name="TharuLalita1991">{{cite book|author1=Susie J. Tharu|author2=Ke Lalita|title=Women Writing in India: The twentieth century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OjZYf9Xf9bcC&pg=PA635|year=1991|publisher=Feminist Press at CUNY|isbn=978-1-55861-029-3|pages=635–}}</ref> [[Pope Paul VI]] honoured her with the [[Benemerenti medal]] in 1971 and she was also honoured by the Catholic Laity Association in 1981.<ref name="Author Details" />


Thottam entered the [[Catholic religious order]] of the [[Carmelites]] under the name of Mary Benigna on 16 July 1928<ref name="Author Details" /> and superannuated from official service in 1961.<ref name="Biography on Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal" /> She died on 20 May 1985, at the age of 83.<ref name="Mary John Thottam -  Kerala Literature">{{Cite web |url=http://keralaliterature.com/old/author.php?authid=805 |title=Mary John Thottam - Kerala Literature |date=2019-04-25 |website=keralaliterature.com |access-date=2019-04-25}}</ref> [[Dravidian University]] has established a study centre in honour of Mary John Thottam.<ref name="Mystic Poet Sister Benigna" /><ref name="Appalling silence by parties as Church moves to expel nun who joined protest for bishop’s arrest">{{Cite web |url=https://www.pennews.net/kerala/2019/01/09/appalling-silence-by-parties-as-church-moves-to-expel-nun-who-joined-protest-for-bishops-arrest |title=Appalling silence by parties as Church moves to expel nun who joined protest for bishop's arrest |date=2019-04-24 |website=pennews |access-date=2019-04-24}}</ref> Her autobiography, ''Vanambadi'' (Nightingale) was published in 1986, a year after her death, along with an anthology of selected poems, under the title, ''Lokame Yatra''.<ref name="Women Writers of Kerala" />
Thottam entered the [[Catholic religious order]] of the [[Carmelites]] under the name of Mary Benigna on 16 July 1928<ref name="Author Details" /> and superannuated from official service in 1961.<ref name="Biography on Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal" /> She died on 20 May 1985, at the age of 83.<ref name="Mary John Thottam -  Kerala Literature">{{Cite web |url=http://keralaliterature.com/old/author.php?authid=805 |title=Mary John Thottam - Kerala Literature |date=2019-04-25 |website=keralaliterature.com |access-date=2019-04-25 |archive-date=25 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425075755/http://keralaliterature.com/old/author.php?authid=805 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Dravidian University]] has established a study centre in honour of Mary John Thottam.<ref name="Mystic Poet Sister Benigna" /><ref name="Appalling silence by parties as Church moves to expel nun who joined protest for bishop’s arrest">{{Cite web |url=https://www.pennews.net/kerala/2019/01/09/appalling-silence-by-parties-as-church-moves-to-expel-nun-who-joined-protest-for-bishops-arrest |title=Appalling silence by parties as Church moves to expel nun who joined protest for bishop's arrest |date=2019-04-24 |website=pennews |access-date=2019-04-24 |archive-date=24 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424175402/https://www.pennews.net/kerala/2019/01/09/appalling-silence-by-parties-as-church-moves-to-expel-nun-who-joined-protest-for-bishops-arrest |url-status=dead }}</ref> Her autobiography, ''Vanambadi'' (Nightingale) was published in 1986, a year after her death, along with an anthology of selected poems, under the title, ''Lokame Yatra''.<ref name="Women Writers of Kerala" />


== Selected bibliography ==
== Selected bibliography ==
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* {{Cite book |title=Elanjippoo |last=Thottam |first=Mary John |date=1971 |language=ml |oclc=978057087}}
* {{Cite book |title=Elanjippoo |last=Thottam |first=Mary John |date=1971 |language=ml |oclc=978057087}}
* {{Cite book |url=http://103.251.43.202:8080/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=41130 |title=Karayunna Kavithakal |last=Thottam |first=Mary John |publisher=National Book Stall |year=1971 |language=ml}}
* {{Cite book |url=http://103.251.43.202:8080/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=41130 |title=Karayunna Kavithakal |last=Thottam |first=Mary John |publisher=National Book Stall |year=1971 |language=ml}}
* {{Cite book |url=http://111.93.136.232:8084/vufind/Record/16304 |title=Karunya Kavithakal |last=Thottam |first=Mary John |publisher=Kerala Penguin Books |year=1971}}
* {{Cite book |url=http://111.93.136.232:8084/vufind/Record/16304 |title=Karunya Kavithakal |last=Thottam |first=Mary John |publisher=Kerala Penguin Books |year=1971 |archive-date=24 April 2019 |access-date=25 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424184656/http://111.93.136.232:8084/vufind/Record/16304 |url-status=dead }}
* {{Cite book |url=https://find.uoc.ac.in/Record/221493 |title=Thottam Kavithakal |last=Thottam |first=Mary John |date=1973 |publisher=National Book Stall, Kottayam |language=ml}}
* {{Cite book |url=https://find.uoc.ac.in/Record/221493 |title=Thottam Kavithakal |last=Thottam |first=Mary John |date=1973 |publisher=National Book Stall, Kottayam |language=ml}}
* {{Cite book |url=http://keralaliterature.com/old/book.php?bukid=541 |title=Kattuparanjakadha |last=Thottam |first=Mary John}}
* {{Cite book |url=http://keralaliterature.com/old/book.php?bukid=541 |title=Kattuparanjakadha |last=Thottam |first=Mary John |archive-date=25 April 2019 |access-date=25 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425075753/http://keralaliterature.com/old/book.php%3Fbukid%3D541 |url-status=dead }}
{{div col end}}
{{div col end}}


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== Further reading ==
== Further reading ==
* {{Cite web |url=http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in:8080/jspui/handle/10603/138506 |title=A study on the poetic works of Mary John Thottam |last=Panengadan |first=Antony |date=2000 |website=University |access-date=2019-04-24}}
* {{Cite web |url=http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in:8080/jspui/handle/10603/138506 |title=A study on the poetic works of Mary John Thottam |last=Panengadan |first=Antony |date=2000 |website=University |access-date=2019-04-24}}
* {{Cite web |url=http://www.indulekha.com/mahilakal-malayala-sathithyathil-malayalam-lifesketches-ramankari-radhakrishnan |title=Mahilakal Malayala Sathithyathil |last=Ramankari Radhakrishnan |website=www.indulekha.com |publisher=National Book Stall |access-date=2019-04-24}}
* {{Cite web |url=http://www.indulekha.com/mahilakal-malayala-sathithyathil-malayalam-lifesketches-ramankari-radhakrishnan |title=Mahilakal Malayala Sathithyathil |last=Ramankari Radhakrishnan |website=www.indulekha.com |publisher=National Book Stall |access-date=2019-04-24 |archive-date=24 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424181940/http://www.indulekha.com/mahilakal-malayala-sathithyathil-malayalam-lifesketches-ramankari-radhakrishnan |url-status=dead }}
* {{Cite book |url=http://mgucat.mgu.ac.in/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=73683 |title=Women and spirituality in Benignan poetic skills |last=Biji MP |date=2011 |publisher=Mahatma Gandhi University Library}}
* {{Cite book |url=http://mgucat.mgu.ac.in/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=73683 |title=Women and spirituality in Benignan poetic skills |last=Biji MP |date=2011 |publisher=Mahatma Gandhi University Library}}


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{{Malayalam Literature |state=collapsed}}
{{Malayalam Literature |state=collapsed}}
 
{{Portalbar|India|Literature}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


Latest revision as of 01:50, 3 January 2026


Mary John Thottam
Born(1901-06-24)24 June 1901
Elanji, Ernakulam, Kerala, India
Died20 May 1985(1985-05-20) (aged 83)
Kerala
Other namesMary Benigna
OccupationPoet, Catholic nun
Notable work
  • Lokame Yathra
  • Marthoma Vijayam
  • Kavanamela
  • Gandhi Jayanthi
Parent(s)
  • John Thottam
  • Mariam
AwardsBenemerenti medal

Mary John Thottam (24 June 1901 – 20 May 1985), also identified as Sister Mary Benigna, was an Indian Catholic nun and a poet who wrote in Malayalam. She authored two mahakavyas, Marthoma Vijayam and Gandhi Jayanthi, a poetry anthology, Lokame Yathra, and other works. Pope Paul VI honoured her with the Benemerenti medal in 1971.

Biography[edit | edit source]

A poem of Sister Mary Benigna

Sister Mary Benigna, née Mary John Thottam, was born on 24 June 1901 at Elanji, a small village near Koothattukulam, in Ernakulam district in the south Indian state of Kerala to John Thottam and Pattasseril Mariam.[1] Her early education was in the traditional way with a local teacher and later she did her formal education at Mutholi Convent School from where she passed the vernacular school leaving certificate (7th standard) to start her career as a teacher at St. Thomas Primary School, North Paravur.[2] She took a break from service after 2 years pursue higher studies in Malayalam and after passing Malayalam higher examination, she returned to Paravur to teach at the English Middle School there. She moved to the Convent Middle School in Kuravilangad in 1922 as a teacher where she became the headmistress the next year.[3]

Thottam's first work, a poetry anthology titled Geethavali, was released in 1927 which had the foreword written by Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer, the noted poet.[2] This was followed by several works which include two epics viz. Marthoma Vijayam and Gandhi Jayanthi, 10 Khantakavyams and over 350 poems compiled in several anthologies.[4] Besides, she also published four books of prose and a translation.[5] She was one of the pioneers of women writers in Malayalam language[6] and her book, Kavitharamam (A Garden of Poems), published in 1929 sold over 100,000 copies, making it a best seller of the times.[7] Lokame Yatra (Farewell to the World), one of the poems in the anthology, was an autobiographical poem related to her becoming a nun.[8] Pope Paul VI honoured her with the Benemerenti medal in 1971 and she was also honoured by the Catholic Laity Association in 1981.[3]

Thottam entered the Catholic religious order of the Carmelites under the name of Mary Benigna on 16 July 1928[3] and superannuated from official service in 1961.[1] She died on 20 May 1985, at the age of 83.[9] Dravidian University has established a study centre in honour of Mary John Thottam.[4][10] Her autobiography, Vanambadi (Nightingale) was published in 1986, a year after her death, along with an anthology of selected poems, under the title, Lokame Yatra.[2]

Selected bibliography[edit | edit source]

  • Thottam, Mary John (1927). Geethavali (in മലയാളം). National Book Stall, Kottayam.
  • Thottam, Mary John (1928). Lokame Yatra (in മലയാളം). Bharananganam, Kōṭṭayaṃ: Jīvan Buks. OCLC 19624885.
  • Thottam, Mary John (1929). Kavitharamam (in മലയാളം). Kōṭṭayaṃ: Sāhityapr̲avarttaka Sahakaraṇasaṅghaṃ. OCLC 20953037.
  • Thottam, Mary John (1934). Easa prasadam (in മലയാളം).
  • Thottam, Mary John (1936). Cherupushpathinte Balyakala Smaranakal (in മലയാളം). Thiruvananthapuram: John Peter Thottam.
  • Thottam, Mary John (1936). Vidivaibhavam (in മലയാളം).
  • Thottam, Mary John (1962). Bharatha Mahalakshmi. Pala: St. Thomas Press.
  • Thottam, Mary John (1965). Kavanamēḷa. National Book Stall, Kōṭṭayaṃ.
  • Thottam, Mary John (1970). Marthomavijayam. OCLC 39769279.
  • Thottam, Mary John (1971). Elanjippoo (in മലയാളം). OCLC 978057087.
  • Thottam, Mary John (1971). Karayunna Kavithakal (in മലയാളം). National Book Stall.
  • Thottam, Mary John (1971). Karunya Kavithakal. Kerala Penguin Books. Archived from the original on 24 April 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  • Thottam, Mary John (1973). Thottam Kavithakal (in മലയാളം). National Book Stall, Kottayam.
  • Thottam, Mary John. Kattuparanjakadha. Archived from the original on 25 April 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2019.

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Biography on Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal". Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal. 23 April 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Women Writers of Kerala". womenwritersofkerala.com. 24 April 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Author Details". www.puzha.com. 24 April 2019. Archived from the original on 9 March 2008. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Paul, Fr Varghese; S.J (25 April 2019). "Mystic Poet Sister Benigna". Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  5. ↑ "List of works". Kerala Sahitya Akademi. 23 April 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  6. ↑ Nalini Natarajan; Emmanuel Sampath Nelson (1996). Handbook of Twentieth-century Literatures of India. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 196. ISBN 978-0-313-28778-7.
  7. ↑ Nalini Natarajan; Emmanuel Sampath Nelson (1996). Handbook of Twentieth-century Literatures of India. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 197–. ISBN 978-0-313-28778-7.
  8. ↑ Susie J. Tharu; Ke Lalita (1991). Women Writing in India: The twentieth century. Feminist Press at CUNY. pp. 635–. ISBN 978-1-55861-029-3.
  9. ↑ "Mary John Thottam - Kerala Literature". keralaliterature.com. 25 April 2019. Archived from the original on 25 April 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  10. ↑ "Appalling silence by parties as Church moves to expel nun who joined protest for bishop's arrest". pennews. 24 April 2019. Archived from the original on 24 April 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2019.

Further reading[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]

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