Updated: October 15, 2020 10:54:40 am
Akkitham won the 55th Jnanpith award last year. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Famous Malayalam poet and Jnanpith laureate Akkitham passed away on Thursday at a private Kerala hospital. He was 94 years old. Akkitham, who was admitted to hospital due to age-related ailments, died at 8.10 am, hospital sources told the PTI news agency.
Born in 1926 in the Palakkad district of Kerala, Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri, popularly known as Akkitham, wrote his first poem when he was eight years old. He became one of the most respected names in Malayalam poetry, winning various literary accolades, including the Sahitya Akademi Prize in 1973. Awarded by the Padma Shri, Akkitham is also known for his critical essays, short stories and other literary works, which were translated to various languages.
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