Thrissur: Jnanpith winner Mahakavi Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri passes away. He was 94 years old. He deceased at a private hospital in Thrissur at 8.10 am today.
Akkitham was born on March 18, 1926 in Kumaranalloor, Palakkad district to Akkithath Vasudevan Namboothiri and Chekur Manakkal Parvathy Antarjanam. From an early age he studied Sanskrit, music and astrology and was the publisher of Unninamboodiri for three years from 1946. He joined the community through Unninamboodiri and has been the co-editor of Mangalodayam and Yogakshema. He has been working as a script writer for Aakashavani, Kozhikode since 1956. In 1975, he was the Editor of Aakashavani, Thrissur. He retired from Aakashavani in 1985.
Malayalam has received over 46 works of poetry, drama, short stories and essays as contributions of the great poet Akkitham. Twentieth Century Epic, Bhagavatam, Moment Temple, Marble Story, Sacrifice, Flowers of Conscience, Selected Poems of Akkitham, Nimisha Shethram, Panchavarnakkili, Arangettam, Madhuvidhu, Oru Kula Munthiranga, Idinju Polinja Lokham, Amritagathika, Kalikottil etc.are the main works. He has also published essays on Upanayanam and Samavarthanam.
Balidarshanam won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1972. Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award in 1973, Odakuzhal Award in 1974, Sanjayan Award, Padmaprabha Award, Amrita Keerthi Award, Ezhuthachan Award for Outstanding Contribution in 2008, Mathrubhumi Sahitya Award in 2008, Vayalar Award in 2012, Ezhuthachan Award in 2016, Padma Shri Award in 2017 were the awards Akkitham has received.
The Jnanpith Award 2019 was given to the great poet of Malayalam at the end of a great poetic life for decades. With that, Akkitham became the sixth Malayalee writer to win the Jnanpith. The legendary Malayalam poet is leaving just days after receiving the grandest award in India at a ceremony organized by Covid.
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