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Mathew Ulakamthara

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Mathew Ulakamthara
BornV. Mathew
(1931-06-06)6 June 1931
Arattukulam, Vaikom, Travancore, British India
Died24 February 2022(2022-02-24) (aged 90)
Thellakam, Kottayam district
Occupationwriter, academic
NationalityIndian
CitizenshipIndia
Alma materUniversity of Kerala
University of Madras
Genrepoetry, literary criticism
Notable awardsSabha Rathnam
SpouseThresiamma
Children4
ParentsUlakamthra Varkey
Anna

Mathew Ulakamthara was a Malayalam language writer, literary critic and academic from Kerala, India. He received several awards including Sabha Rathnam, the highest honour of the Syro-Malabar Church.

Biography

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Mathew Ulakamthara was born on 6 June 1931, in Chungam Ulakamthara house in present-day Arattukulam in Vaikom, Kottayam district of Kerala to Ulakamthra Varkey and Anna.[1] In 1954, he obtained a degree in Malayalam from the University of Kerala and later did his Post Graduate Degree from the University of Madras.[2] He served as Malayalam lecturer at Thevara SH College for three decades and retired as head of the department in 1986.[3] After retirement he worked as teacher at Mananthavady Newman's College.[4] He was later appointed Honorary Professor of Sree Sankaracharya Sanskrit University.[5] He also served as the sub-editor of Thananthu magazine and Editor-in-Chief of Deepika Weekly (1988-1990).[3][6]

Mathew has also served as the Chief Examiner, Chairman of the Examination Board, Textbook Committee Member, Oriental Faculty and chairman of the Board of Studies of Kerala and MG Universities.[5]

Personal life and death

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Mathew was an Eastern Rite Catholic affiliated with the Syro-Malabar Church.[7] He and his wife Thresiamma have four children.[2] He died on 24 February 2022, at a private hospital in Thellakam, Kottayam district.[5]

Literary contributions

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When he was 12 years old, his first work was published in Deepika Weekly Children's page.[4] At the time of writing the articles in Kerala Pamkthi magazine under the name Vaikkom V. Mathew, its editor, Father C. K. Mattam, suggested that the family name be added to his name.[4] After that he started writing under the name Mathew Ulakamthara.

Mathew has authored over fifty works in various genres including Literary Criticism, Poetry, Drama, Biography and Religious Thought.[3] His introductions to the works of many authors including Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, Pala Narayanan Nair and Mary John Thottam are also noteworthy.[3] These will be published in book form soon.[3]

Mathew's main literary work is the epic Christugatha (meaning: The Story of Christ), which is a poem that gives a comprehensive and aesthetic account of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ from his birth to his ascension to heaven.[2] Six editions of this book have been released.[4] He has also authored several Christian devotional songs.[6] His literary criticism books have been made textbooks by three universities in Kerala.[3] The books used as texts were Vimarshasopanam, Alochanamritham, and Sahithyapeedika.[2]

Mathew has been a member of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi, Secretary of the Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad and a member of the advisory board of the Kerala Bhasha Institute.[4]

Selected works

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Christian philosophy

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  • Pianius, Clement; Ulakamthara, Mathew (1980). Samshepavedartham (in Malayalam) (2 ed.). Kottayam: DC Books. OCLC 10752451.

Poetry

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  • Christugatha
  • Velichathinte Makal (meaning: Daughter of Light)[2]
  • Adyathe Maranam (meaning: First Death)[2]

Literary criticism

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Religious

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Biography

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Essays

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Others

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Awards and honours

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  • K. V. Simon Award[1]
  • A.K.C.C. Award[8]
  • Athansius Award[8]
  • Marthoma Award[2]
  • Vanisseri Award[2]
  • Ulloor Award[1]
  • Mahakavi Kattakkayam Gold Medal[4]
  • KCBC Award[4]
  • Catholic Congress Award[4]
  • KCYM Award[4]
  • Kudumbadeepam Award[4]
  • LRC Award[4]
  • Sr Mary Baneenja Award[4]
  • IC Chacko Award[4]
  • Syro-Malabar Research Center Award 2011[7]
  • In 2019, he received the title Sabha Rathnam (meaning: gem of the church) the highest honor of the Syro-Malabar Church.[1]

Works on him

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "പ്രൊഫ. മാത്യു ഉലകംതറ അന്തരിച്ചു". Mathrubhumi daily (in Malayalam). 25 February 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "ആയിരം പൂര്‍ണചന്ദ്രന്മാരെ കണ്ട നിറവില്‍ പ്രൊഫ. മാത്യു ഉലകംതറ". Mathrubhumi. 15 June 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "പ്രഫ. മാത്യു ഉലകംതറ ഇന്ന് നവതിയിലേക്ക്". www.manoramaonline.com. 6 June 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Jibin, Kurian (25 February 2022). "അറിവ് നിറച്ചാർത്തണിയിച്ച ഗുരുഭൂതൻ". Deepika daily (in Malayalam).
  5. ^ a b c "പ്രൊഫ. മാത്യു ഉലകംതറ അന്തരിച്ചു". Mathrubhumi (in Malayalam).
  6. ^ a b c "പ്രൊഫ. മാത്യു ഉലകംതറയ്ക്കു സ്മരണാഞ്ജലി" (in Malayalam). Sathyadeepam Weekly. 25 February 2022.
  7. ^ a b "പ്രൊഫ. ഉലകംതറ സഭയുടെ മുതൽക്കൂട്ട്: മാർ ആലഞ്ചേരി". Deepika daily (in Malayalam). 11 March 2012.
  8. ^ a b Dutt, Kartik Chandra (1999). Who's who of Indian Writers, 1999: A-M. Sahitya Akademi. ISBN 978-81-260-0873-5.
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