Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri
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| Born | 18 March 1926 Kumaranellur, Ponnani taluk, Malabar District, Madras Presidency, British India |
| Died | 15 October 2020 (aged 94) Thrissur, Kerala, India |
| Pen name | Akkitham |
| Occupation | Poet, social worker |
| Language | Malayalam |
| Nationality | Indian |
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| Notable awards |
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| Relatives | Akkitham Narayanan, brother |
Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri (born March 18, 1926 – died October 15, 2020) was a famous Indian poet and writer. People often called him just Akkitham. He wrote in the Malayalam language. Akkitham was known for his clear and simple writing style. His poems often talked about deep love and kindness.
Some of his most famous works include Irupatham Noottandinte Ithihasam (which means "Epic of the 20th Century") and Balidarshanam ("The Vision of Bali"). In 2019, Akkitham received the Jnanpith Award. This is the highest award for writers in India. He also won many other important awards like the Padma Shri and the Ezhuthachan Puraskaram. Akkitham passed away in Thrissur when he was 94 years old.
Early Life
Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri was born on March 18, 1926. His birthplace was Amettikkara, near Kumaranellur in Palakkad district, Kerala. His parents were Amettu Akkithathu Manayil Vasudevan Namboothiri and Checkur Manaykkal Parvathy Antharjanam.
He studied Sanskrit, Astrology, and Music in school. He started college but did not finish his degree.
Literary Career
Akkitham began his career as an editor for a magazine called Unni Namboothiri. He used this magazine to share his ideas about helping society. He also worked as an assistant editor for Mangalodayam and Yogakshemam magazines.
In 1956, he joined All India Radio (AIR) in Kozhikode. He worked there until 1975. After that, he moved to the AIR station in Thrissur. He also helped with Anaadi, a project to make the study of Vedas more popular.
Akkitham's writings became well-known in the early 1950s. His poem Irupatham Noottandinte Ithihasam was one of the first modern poems in Malayalam literature. This book won the Sanjayan Award in 1952. He wrote about 45 books in total. These included poetry, plays, and short stories.
Some of his famous poetry books are Balidarsanam, Arangettam, and Nimisha Kshetram. He also wrote essays like Upanayanam. Akkitham translated the Srimad Bhagavatam into Malayalam. This translation had over 14,000 verses. His works often explored themes of love and kindness. He is known for bringing "meaningful modernism" into his poetry.
Akkitham also worked to improve society. He was part of the Yogakshema Sabha. Through this group, he tried to bring good changes to the lives of the Namboothiri Brahmins in Kerala. He helped promote the study of Vedas in different centers. He also took part in the Paliyam Satyagraha in 1947. This was a peaceful protest against untouchability.
Awards and Honours
Akkitham received the Sanjayan Award in 1952 for Irupatham Noottandinte Ithihasam. In 1971, he won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Poetry for Balidarshanam. He received two big awards in 1973. These were the Sahitya Akademi Award for Balidarshanam and the Odakkuzhal Award for Nimisha Kshetram.
He was chosen for the Asan Smaraka Kavitha Puraskaram in 1994. Two years later, he received the Lalithambika Antharjanam Smaraka Sahitya Award in 1996. The Vallathol Award followed in 1997.
In 2012, Akkitham received the Vayalar Award. The Government of Kerala gave him the Ezhuthachan Puraskaram in 2016. This is their highest literary award. In 2017, he received the Padma Shri. This is the fourth highest civilian award in India. He could not attend the award ceremony due to his health. The award was given to him later in Palakkad.
In 2019, he received the O. N. V. Literary Award. The same year, he won the Jnanpith Award. This is the highest literary award in India. The award praised him as "A poet of rare integrity." It noted that his poetry showed "unfathomable compassion" and connected tradition with modern ideas.
He also received other awards like the Krishna Geedhi Award and the Nalappad Award. A documentary film called Arikil Akkitham was made about his life. It was directed by E. Suresh.
Personal Life
Akkitham was married to Sreedevi Antharjanam. They had two sons, Narayanan and Vasudevan. They also had four daughters: Sreeja, Indira, Parvathy, and Leela. The family lived in Amettikkara. His wife, Antharjanam, passed away in 2019. His younger brother, Akkitham Narayanan, is a well-known painter.
Akkitham died on October 15, 2020, at the age of 94. He passed away in Thrissur. His funeral was held with full state honors at his home in Kumaranellur on the same day.
