Renowned Malayalam children's author Sumangala passes away at 87; CM Pinarayi Vijayan expresses condolence

Well-known author of children’s literature in Malayalam, Leela Nambudiripad, known by her pen name Sumangala, died on Tuesday due to age-related ailments, family sources said. She was 87. Sumangala, a resident of Thrissur district, is survived by three children. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Cultural minister AK Balan condoled the demise of Sumangala, saying it was a great loss to children’s literature. “She was an author who understood children and used simple language to pen stories for them. She had introduced numerous stories on Indian mythology to children,” Vijayan said. Sumangala bagged the 2013 Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award, Bal Sahitya Puraskar, for her contribution to children’s literature. Balan said Sumangala beautifully translated the Panchatantra stories into Malayalam. “Her contributions to language and literature will always be remembered,” he said in his condolences message. Besides translating Panchatantra and Valmiki Ramayana from Sanskrit into Malayalam, she has also penned over 50 books. Her works include Mittayipothi, Neypayasam, Manjadikuru, and Kurinjiyum Koottukarum, among others.