Thrissur: Jnanpith winner and renowned Malayalam poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri (94) passed away. He died at a private hospital in Thrissur. He was admitted to the hospital yesterday due to age-related illnesses and died at 8.10 am today.
Akkitham was born on 18 March 1926 in Amettoor Akkithath Mana, Kumaranalloor, Palakkad district to Akkithath Vasudevan Namboothiri and Chekoor Manakkal Parvathy Antharjanam. He was the co-editor of Mangalodayam and Yogakshemam and worked as a scriptwriter for All India Radio, Kozhikode from 1956. He also worked as an editor at All India Radio Thrissur in 1975. He retired from All India Radio in 1985.
Malayalam has received over 46 works of poetry, drama, short stories, and essays as contributions of the great poet Akkitham. Irupatham Noottandinte Ithihasam, Bhagavatam, Nimisha Kshethram, Vennakkallinte Kadha, Balidarshanam, Manasakshiyude Pookkal, Akkithathinte Therajendutha Kavithakal, Panchavarnakkili, Arangettam, Madhuvidhu, Oru Kula Munthiringa, Idinjupolinja Lokam, Amritagathika, Kalikottilil are the mains works. He has also published essays on Upanayanam and Samavarthanam.
In 1972, he received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for his work Balidarshanam. Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award in 1973, Odakkuzhal 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 2017, Samithi Award Has been received.
In 2019, the Jnanpith award was sought for the great poet of Malayalam. With that, Akkitham became the sixth Malayalee writer to win the Jnanpith.
