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Malayala Manorama




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''Malayala Manorama'' is a popular Malayalam newspaper in Kerala , India . The newspaper was once the world's largest circulated regional newspaper. The Manorama group, which manages the newspaper, also runs the Manorama Yearbook, the world's largest circulated yearbook. Malayala Manorama, which first appeared on 14th March 1890 , as a weekly, currently has a readership of over 90 million, with a circulation base of over 1.4 million copies.

The Malayalam word Manorama roughly translates to "Entertainer."


HISTORY


A joint stock publishing company, destined to acquire the status of the first joint stock publishing company of Republic Of India , was incorporated by in 1888 by Kandathil Varghese Mappillai at Kottayam , then a small town in the state of Travancore , currently, a part of Kerala state, India . The first issue of Malayala Manorama was published on 22nd March 1890 . The name Malayalam Manorama was chosen by the poet, Kerala Varma . In a period of two years, from the date of incorporation till the publication commenced, the company witnessed several challenges. Malayala Manorama mainly served the Christian community in Kerala. The undertaking had injected economical reform and growth to the state at a time when money lending and upper class living were just privileges of elite Hinds or royalty. This sudden change in the economy and reform in banking promoted by a minority community (considering the population of Syrian Christians in Kerala) earned the wrath of the ruling Travancore regime. Once the paper was closed down owing to this and a bank owned by Manorama was locked out.
Today, Manorama has ventured into areas like Broadcasting .

The success of Manorama Daily lies in the fact that it could win over the affluent Christian community in Kerala thereby affirming the participation of advertising clients. Together with the support of the traders from the same community it built up a brand of its own with which it could surpass the editorial supremacy of other newspapers in Kerala. Slowly Manorama crept into the bastions of the other newspapers playing the communal cards. Manorama can be referred as a prerunner of political parties in Kerala which now plays the political cards to win over the voters. But as the middle class in Hindu and Muslim sections of the society began to attain financial growth, the spread of Manorama proportionately declined. Many other news dailies have mushroomed in the recent years including Mathrubhumi , Deshabhimani , Deepika etc.


TIMELINE


  • 1888 Malayala Manorama founded

  • 1890 First issue of Malayala Manorama was published on 14th March

  • 1892 Publication of Bhashaposhini commenced

  • 1901 Malayala Manorama becomes bi-weekly

  • 1904 Kandathil Varghese Mappillai, the key figure passes away on 6th July

  • 1915 Malayala Manorama commences publication of daily World War I supplements

  • 1918 Malayala Manorama becomes triweekly on 2nd July

  • 1928 Malayala Manorama becomes a daily from 2nd July

  • 1929 On 29th May, Akhila Kerala Balajana Sakhyam formed

  • 1930 Malayala Manorama’s first Annual Number appears

  • 1937 Commencement of Malayala Manorama Weekly from 8th August

  • 1938 Travancore state proscribes Malayala Manorama on 10th September

  • --- An issue appears on 14th September from the state of Cochin

  • 1939 Mammen Mappillai was convicted and imprisoned on charges of corruption and fraud

  • 1941 Mammen Mappilla released

  • 1947 From 29th November, Malayala Manorama re-commences regular publication

  • 1950 Installation of the first rotary press



EMINENT JOURNALISTS


Malayala Manorama has produced a number of internationally renowned journalists.
Prominent journalists who have worked with the Manorama daily or other Manorama publications include Vaikkom Chandra Sekharan Nair, E.V. Krishna Pillai, E.V.Sreedharan, T.V.R. Shenoy, K.Gopalakrishnan, T.K.G. Nair, Babu Chengannoor, K.R. Chummar, Moorkoth Kunjappa, K.M.Tharakan, T.K.G. Nair, VKB (V.K. Bhargavan Nair) and K. Padmanabhan Nair.


OTHER PUBLICATIONS


The Malayalam Manorama group of publication has a long list of best selling magazines and reference books, including the following:

#The Week (English news weekly)
#Bhashaposhini (Malayalam literary review monthly)
#Karshakashree (Agricultural news monthly)
#Manorama Weekly (Malayalam weekly)
#Manorama Varshikapathippu (Annual)
#Vijayaveedhi (For grade 10 students)
#Vanitha (Women's bi-weekly magazine - Malayalam)
#Vanitha (Women's bi-weekly magazine - Hindi)
#Kalikkudukka (Pre-primary school publication in Malayalam)
#Magic Pot (English weekly for pre-primary students)
#Balarama (Children's weekly)
#Balarama Digest (Children's information magazine - weekly)
#Amarchitrakatha (Children's weekly consists of picture stories)
#Thozhilveedhi (A weekly for job seekers)
#Knowledge Adventure CDROM (General Knowledge CD ROM)
#Hindi Year Book
#English Year Book
#Tamil Year Book
#Malayalam Year Book
#Bengali Year Book


EXTERNAL LINKS