O Chandu Menon. First novel writer in Malayalam language.

Chandu Menon Rao Bahadur Oyyarathu (Also known as O. Chandu Menon) (1847-1899) was a Malayalam language novelist from Kerala state, India. I is the author of Indlulekha, the first major novel in Malayalam.

Literary career

I was inspired to write by His Wife His first novel Indulekha. I Attempted to fashion the work after the popular novels Inglés During Those Days [4] and Depicted lives the love and life of an upper caste woman and her sad destiny. The novel Attempted to discuss the topics of feudalism, polygamy and caste oppression.

His 1889 work, Indulekha, was the first Malayalam Which fictional work met the requisite With All Characteristics of a novel ACCORDING TO Widely accepted Malayalam literary convention. It is not the first novel per se, as Kundalatha (a much less work) by Appu Nedungadi pre-dates it by a year. Indulekha throws light on the Nair community During the second half of the nineteenth century when it was Undergoing a transformation following Inglés western influences and education. It exalts education and satirizes the orthodox practices of temporary marital alliances Namboodiri Between Nair women and men. Indulekha was translated into Inglés 1891 by the-then Collector of Malabar district. Indulekha is Claimed to be the only Malayalam novel to be reprinted every year for over hundred years.

I Began a novel second named Sarada, the first part of Which Appeared in 1892. This novel was meant to be in two parts. However, I was unable to complete the sequel, Which never got published.

Two Inglés speeches made by Chandu Menon, one on Administration of Justice in Ancient Times and another under the auspices of the Sir T.Muthuswamy Iyer Memorial Committee Have Been published in book form.

Major awards and recognitions

Reportedly I received a letter from the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, WE Gladstone, passing on Queen Victoria's appreciation of Chandu Menon's services to Malayalam literature in 1892.
The Government of India conferred on him the title of Rao Bahadur in 1897.