A 14

Rev. Joseph Peet of the CMS College stands at par with Rev. Benjamin Bailey in his contributions to Malayalam. Rev. Peet was the one who wrote a grammar book for Malayalam language for the first time. The first part of it was published in 1839. Rev. Peet today is remembered for the first book that had the ‘novel form’ titled ‘Phulmoni ennum Koruna ennum Peraya Randu Sthreekalude Katha’. Originally written by Catherine Hanna Mullens in Bengali language Rev. Peet translated it into Malayalam. A book that had gone out of circulation for many years was finally found out from the archives of the Tubingen University by Dr. Scaria Scaria. Rev. Peet also had written a Malayalam geography book.

Ebin P.R in his relief sculpture highlights the subtitle of the book, Indyayile Sthree or the Indian Woman, (the original title page of the book says ‘Interesting Histories written by a Madamma for the usefulness of Indian women) by giving the relief font types to the Malayalam alphabets. The texture of the background is rough for highlighting the condition of the women in India in those days detailed in the novel. The protagonists of the novel are emblematically presented as two female portraits. While one stands independently, the other woman holds a child, relating to the textual details of the novel.