Kutty Kunju Thankachi

Kutti Kunju Thankachi, née Lakshmy Pilla, was born on 14 February 1820 at Vilavancode taluk of the Travancore state, presently in Kanyakumari district of the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, to Irayimman Thampi and Kalipilla Thankachi.^[1] Her early education was under her father;^{[note 1]} she studied under Harippadu Kochuppilla Varrier, simultaneously learning Thiruvathira dance from her father.^[3] Her first marriage was in 1834 to Kunjan Thampan of Cherthala Varanadu Naduvilel Kovilakam but after the death of Thampan in 1851, she married again in 1861; the marriage with Kunjunni Thampan lasting a decade until his death in 1871. She had eight children, from her two marriages. She was afflicted with eye disease from her childhood, lost her eyesight completely by 1902 and died on 13 February 1904, at the age of 83.^[1]

Thankachi, known to be the first woman poet^[4] and composer of Kerala,^[3] wrote eighteen books comprising three attakathas, Parvathiswayamvaram, Mithrasahamoksham and Sreemathy Swayamvaram,^[5] several poems, two kurathi songs, a thullal and a play, Ajnathavasam.^[6] Noted critic, S. Gupthan Nair, has stated that Thankachi had gained popularity as a poet during her time itself and people used to visit her to read their poems to listen to her opinions.^[7] She was known to have good knowledge of Sanskrit and she composed songs in several ragas such as Kambhoji, Kalyaani, Naatta, Khamas and Surutti.^[8][9]