The Hindu : Mrs. K.M. Mathew passes away

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 11, 2003

National

National

Mrs. K.M. Mathew passes away

By Our Staff Reporter

KOTTAYAM July 10. Mrs. K.M. Mathew, Chief Editor of Vanitha, the largest selling women's magazine in the country, died after a brief illness at a private nursing home here today. She was 81.

Wife of the Malayala Manorama Chief Editor, K.M. Mathew, she was a pioneer in culinary literature in Malayalam. Mrs. Mathew also leaves an indelible mark in the fields of journalism, music, cookery and social welfare.

Born on March 22, 1922, in Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh where her father was a civil surgeon in the Madras Civil Service, Annamma got married at the age of 20 to K.M. Mathew, then a young planter. She has said that she sharpened her talents in culinary art, which she inherited from her father, during her days at Chickamagalur and at Bombay.

A new turn in her life came when her father-in-law, K.M. Mammen Mappillai, asked her to prepare a recipe for publication in the Malayala Manorama.

Over the past 50 years, she almost single-handedly took the flavours of the curry coast to glamorous dining tables across the world. She was also the pioneer in tips for new recipes through a regular media column "Pachaka Vidhi" in Malayalam. Mrs. Mathew entered a new phase with the launching of Vanitha in 1975. She was the first Chief Editor and continued in the post till the end of her life. The magazine virtually redefined the identity of Malayalee women and Mrs. Mathew through its columns encouraged them to be fearless and independent and at the same time caring and nurturing. Her contribution to journalism fetched her several accolades and won her a number of awards, including the Vignanadeepam Puraskaram and the Nirmithi Kendra Award.

She leaves behind her husband, K.M. Mathew, and sons, Mammen Mathew, Editor Malayala Manorama, Philip Mathew, Managing Editor, and Jacob Mathew, Executive Editor. Her daughter Thangam is married to Mr. C.P. Mammen, managing director of Cochin Computers.

Mrs. Mathew's body would be taken to the Malayala Manorama headquarters on Friday for the public to pay homage.

The funeral will take place at 12 p.m. at the Puthenpalli cemetery.