THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Noted poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri has been honoured with this year’s Jnanpith Award, a highest literary award given for outstanding contribution towards literature. He is the sixth Keralite getting the prestigious award. Akkitham is known as the poet who proclaimed modernity in poetry. He was conferred with Padma Shree in 2017. He is a recipient of Ezhuthachan, Vallathol, Odakkuzhal and many other state government literary awards.

‘Irupatham Noottandinte Ithihasam’ a work of Akkitham made him more famous.

Akkitham was born on March 18, 1926 at Amettikkara near Kumaranallur in Palakkad to Amettu Akkithathu Manayil Vasudevan Namboothiri and Checkur Manaykkal Parvathy Antharjanam. After schooling in sanskrit, astrology and music, he did college education but did not complete his graduate degree course. He started his career as an editor of Unni Namboothiri magazine, which he used as a platform for his social activities. He also worked as an assistant editor at Mangalodayam and Yogakshemam magazines. In 1956, he joined the Kozhikode station of the All India Radio (AIR) where he served until 1975 after which he was transferred to the Thrissur station of the AIR. He was also associated with Anaadi, a literary initiative for popularising studies of Vedas.

Akkitham is married to Sreedevi Antharjanam and the couple has a son, Narayanan and a daughter, Sreeja. The family lives in Amettikkara. Noted painter Akkitham Narayanan is his younger brother.

His most famous works are Irupatham Noottandinte Ithihasam, Bhagavatham, Nimisha Kshethram, Vennakkallinte Katha, Balidarshanam, Manasakshiyude Pookkal etc.

He got Kerala Sahithya Academy’s award for Balidarshanam in 1972. He has also obtained Kendra Sahithya Akademy’s Award of 1973, Odakkuzhal Award of 1974, Sanjayan Puraskaram, Padmaprabha Puraskaram, Amritha Keerthi Puraskaram, Ezhuthachan Puraskaram of 2008 and the Padma Shree in 2017.