Popular poet and Jnanpith winner Akkitham Achutham Namboodiri passes away yesterday. He had been suffering from urinary problems including lung and liver infection than he was admitted to a private hospital in Thrissur on Tuesday evening and admitted under ICU. He breathed last at around 8:00 AM, said, family members. He was known as an Indian Poet and essayist of the Malayalam language. He was born on 19 March 1926 at Amettikkara, near Kumaranallur in Palakkad district, Kerala. He was a student of Government high school in Kumaranellor, After complete his school education in Sanskrit, Music, and Astrology, he did college education but didn’t complete his graduation degree than he started his career in Unni Namboothiri Magazine as an assistant editor. He has also worked in Mangalodayam and Yogakshemam magazine as an assistant editor. From here, he started his social activities. In 1956, he started work in Kozhikode station of the All India Radio(AIR) where he worked until 1975 after this he was transferred to the Thrissur station of AIR. He was also known for his popularising in Vedas Studies.
He married Sreedevi Antharjanam and both have sons, Vasudevan and Narayanan, and also with daughters, Indira, Sreeja, Parvathy, and Leela. They all live in Amettikara. His wife died on 13 March 2019 at the age of 85.
Akkitham Achuthan Namboodiri, he believed in the ultimate power of love. He commended ultimate love towards everything which was given by nature. He had worked as many roles as Journalist, writer, and editor. In 2008, he was honored by the Ezhuthanchan award. He was the author of 49 books which were included with drama, short story, poetry, and translation. Arangettam, Nimisha Kshetram, Amritaghatika, Balidarsanam, Idinju Polinja Lokam, and Balidarsanam are some of his poetry, and Samavarttnam and Upanayanam were two collections of prose.
As well as, he translated Srimad Bhagavatam to Sree Mahabhagavatham, as composed of 14,613 verses over 2400 pages in it. He was honored by Jnanpith awarded last year and becomes the sixth Malayalee Man who belongs to Kerala. He gained wide attention in the early 1950s and he wrote ‘Irupatham Nootandile Ithihasam’ in 1952. This work got many admirers as well as, many were felt that it was against Communism.
His first guru was Achutha Warrier. In the age of 8 years to 12 years, he learned Rig Veda, an ancient Indian Vedic Sanskrit hynms from his father, than he studied Sanskrit and astrology from Kodakatt Shankunni Nambisan. He had worked as director of Sahithya Pravarthaka Sahakarna Sangham, Kottayam from 1973 to 1976 then the vice president of the Kerala Sahitya Academy (1974-1977), vice president of the Samskara Bharathi, Agra (1986-1996), President of the Vallathol Education Trust, Shukapuram from 1989, President of the Edassery Memorial Committee, Ponnani from 1985, vice president of the Changampuzha Memorial Committee, Kochi from 1995,He was awarded by Kendra Sahitya Academy award, Odakuzhal award, Asan award, Vallathol Award, Kerala Sahitya Academy award, and Jnanapeetom Award. He was also honored by Padma Shri Award in 2017.
May his soul rest in peace and he will be remembered by his loved ones.
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