Kaumudi teacher, a prominent Gandhian who made a mark in the history of the national movement bygifting her gold ornaments to Mahatma Gandhi as a 17-year-old,passed away on August 4, 2009.
She was 92 and a spinster.
Hailed by the Mahatma himself as a symbol of renunciation, Kaumudi voluntarily donated her ornaments to Gandhi during his visit to Vatakara in 1934.
Her sacrifice was acknowledged by Gandhi in his article titled 'Kaumudi's renunciation' published in 'Young India'which had been translated to all Indian languages and made a part of school syllabus.
She later devoted herself to the propagation of khadi andteaching Hindi and decided not to wear ornaments.
Kaumudi was born in a royal family to A K Ramavarma and Rajaand Devaki Kettilamma on May 17, 1917 at Vayakkara in Kannur.
She was closely associated with Gandhian movement and after independence in the `Bhoodan' movement of Acharya VinobaBhave.
As instructed by Gandhi, she took up Hindi teaching and worked in several schools in the Malabar region. She was also a frequent visitor to Sewagram and Paunar ashrams.