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Sabeena Rafi
Born(1918-10-06)6 October 1918
Gothuruth, present day Ernakulam district, Kerala, India
Died22 June 1990(1990-06-22) (aged 65)
OccupationEssayist, historian
Notable work
  • Chavittu Nadakam - Oru Charithra Padanam
  • Marxism, Oru Thirinjunottam
  • Kaliyugam
Spouse(s)Ponjikkara Rafi
Parent(s)
  • Joseph
  • Mariamma
AwardsKerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Miscellaneous Works

Sabeena Rafi (6 October 1918 – 22 June 1990) was an Indian essayist and historian of Malayalam literature. Her oeuvre consists of philosophical works, an autobiography and Chavittu Nadakam - Oru Charithra Padanam, the first historical compendium on Chavittu Nadakam, an operatic dance form. Her book, Kaliyugam, a philosophical work jointly written with her husband, Ponjikkara Rafi, fetched her the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Miscellaneous Works in 1972.

Biography[edit | edit source]

Sabeena was born on 6 October 1918 at Gothuruth, a small village in the periphery of present day Ernakulam district of the south Indian state of Kerala to Joseph and Mariamma.[1] She earned two master's degrees, in History and Economics, and served our her career as a teacher. She married Ponjikkara Rafi in 1963,[2] following a period of romance,[3] but the couple did not have children.[4] She died on 22 June 1990, at the age of 65;[5] survived by Rafi, who died two years later, on 6 September 1992.[2]

Legacy and honours[edit | edit source]

Sabeen Rafi's oeuvre consists of five non-fiction works and Chritumas Sammanam, her autobiography.[6] Chavittu Nadakam - Oru Charithra Padanam, her 1964 publication on the history of Chavittu Nadakam, an operatic dance form originated in Ernakulam, is considered to be the first comprehensive book on the subject.[7] Marxism, Oru Thirinjunottam, a book co-written with her husband, is a detailed study of the Marxian theory and its spiritual aspects; the book also has a critique on Mother of Maxim Gorky.[8] Kaliyugam, again a Ponjikkara Rafi co-written work, is a study of human behaviour from early ages, with a philosophical perspective.[4] The book fetched her the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Miscellaneous Works in 1972.[9]

Bibliography[edit | edit source]

  • Sabeena Rafi (1964). Chavittu Nadakam - Oru Charithra Padanam (in മലയാളം) (1 ed.). Kochi: Avanthi Publications.
  • Sabeena Rafi (1968). Christumas sammanam (in മലയാളം) (1 ed.).[permanent dead link]
  • Ponjikkara Rafi; Sebeena Rafi (1982). Kaliyugam (in മലയാളം) (1 ed.). D. C. B. Kottayam.
  • Ponjikkara Rafi; Sabeena Rafi (1991). Marxism Oru Thirinjunottam, Emmavoosilekkula Yathrayum (in മലയാളം) (0 ed.). Bamsuri Books.
  • Sabeena Rafi; Ponjikkara Rafi (1992). Sukradasayude charitram. Kottayam: D.C. Books.[permanent dead link]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. "Biography on Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal". Biography on Kerala Sahitya Akademi portal. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Sabeena Rafi". Kerala Sahitya Akademi. 10 April 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  3. ഉണ്ണികൃഷ്ണൻ, കെ. "പോഞ്ഞിക്കര റാഫിയെ മറന്നതെങ്ങനെ ?". Mathrubhumi. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  4. 4.0 4.1 "Ponjikkara Rafi - Veethi profile". veethi.com. 10 April 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  5. "കേട്ടിട്ടുണ്ടോ പോഞ്ഞിക്കര റാഫിയെന്ന്?". ManoramaOnline. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  6. "List of works". Kerala Sahitya Akademi. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  7. "Chavittunatakam: Maritime Dance Drama of Kerala". www.sahapedia.org. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  8. "Marxism Oru Thirinjunottam". www.indulekha.com. 10 April 2019. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  9. "Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Miscellaneous Works". Kerala Sahitya Akademi. 10 April 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2019.

External links[edit | edit source]