Noted Malayalam poet and litterateur, Vishunarayanan Namboothri has been selected for the prestigious Ezhuthachan Puraskaranm this year in recognition of his valuable contribution to Malayalam language and literature.
State Minister for Culture, K C Joseph, announced the award at a press conference here today and said the honour carries a cash award of Rs 1,50,000 and a citation.
The award has been named after Thunchaththu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, a 16th century devotional poet, considered to be the father of Malayalam language.
75-year-old Namboothri, a language scholar and a renowned figure in contemporary Malayalam literature, retired as head of department from University College here after being a lecturer for about 32 years.
Swaathanthryathe-Kurichu Oru Geetham, Pranayageethangal, Bhoomigeethangal, India Enna Vikaram, Ujjayiniyile Raappakalukal and Aaranyakam are some of this noted works.
Namboothri, who received Padma Shri award this year, was also the receipent of various honours such as Sahitya Akademi National Award, Kerala Sahitya Academy Award.
