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Updated October 15th, 2020 at 12:43 IST

Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri passes away: A look at the life of the legendary poet

Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri has passed away and many fans are paying their respects. Take a look at the life of the poet and his work.

Reported by: Tulip Roy
Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri
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Poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri, popularly known as Akkitham, recently passed away at the age of 94. He was known as one of the best Indian poets and essayists and would often write in the Malayalam language. He was a celebrated poet and received many awards in his career like Jnanpith Award, Padma Shri, Ezhuthachan Award and many more. Take a look at the famous poet's life and his career in the article below. 

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Akkitham's personal life

Poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri was born on March 18, 1926, at Amettikkara near Kerala. His father's name was Akkitham Vasudevan Nambudiri and his mother's name was Chekoor Parvathy Antharjanam. His official website mentions that the poet studied Sanskrit, astrology and music in his school and went to college but never graduated. Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri then got married to Sreedevi Antharjanam and the couple has 2 sons and four daughters. The two sons are named Narayanan and Vasudevan, while the daughters are named Sreeja, Indira, Parvathy and Leela. Akkitham's wife passed away on March 13, 2019, aged 85.

Akkitham's son Narayanan is a painter and sculptor who is settled in Paris. Akkitham's son Vasudevan is also an eminent artist. He lives and works in Vadodara.

Also Read | Kriti Sanon pens poetry, Varun Dhawan's 'social distancing' comment steals the limelight

Akkitham's poetry and career 

Akkitham started his career as a journalist and used to work in a magazine called Unni Nambudiri. Akkitham's poetry and work started gaining attention in the early 1950s, as mentioned on his website. His book Irupatham Noottandinte Ithihasam (Epic of the 20th Century) received wide attention and he also won many awards due to the book. He also started writing a collection of essays that moved his fans. His essays, Upanayanam and Samavarttanam, were also very well received by the audiences. 

One of his most respected works is the translation of Srimad Bhagavatam. The book has 2,400 printed pages and is considered by many as one of the best translations of the work so far. Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri has also written a few epics that are called 'Irupatham noottandinte ithihasam', 'Desa sevika' and 'Balidarshanam'. The three books were loved by Malayalam book readers.  

Akkitham was known to be a modern poet and many reports mentioned that he paved the way for other artists. His works Prathikaradevatha, Kalikkottilil, Kedatha Sooryan were revolutionary. He also wrote many criticism and essays that helped introduce a new style of writing.  

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Many media houses also reported that poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri was also involved in charity and social reform work. He used to work with Yogakshema Sabha. Yogakshema Sabha is an organisation that helps to bring about a change in the lives of Namboothiri Brahmins of Kerala. He was also associated with Paliyam Sathyagraha. 

Akkitham's awards

Poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri was one of the most celebrated Indian poets. He received the Jnanpith Award, which is India's highest literally honour. He also received a Padma Shri for his work. Take a look at some other notable awards that Akkitham received for his work:

  •  Sanjayan Award in 1952 for Irupatham Noottandinte Ithihasam
  •  Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Poetry in 1971 for Balidarshanam
  •  Sahitya Akademi Award in 1973 for Balidarshanam
  •  Odakkuzhal Award in 1973 for Nimisha Kshetram
  • Vayalar Award 2012 
  • 1996 Lalithambika Antharjanam Smaraka Sahitya Award
  • Padma Shri in 2017 

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Akkitham's death

Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri passed away in a private hospital on Thursday morning at 7:00 am, reported Kaumudi. He was 94 years old now and had many health issues due to old age. Akkitham was admitted to the hospital a few days back when he had complained of uneasiness. 

Promo Pic Credit: Jolly Tommy's YouTube 

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Published October 15th, 2020 at 12:42 IST

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