Important Facts For Prelims
Jnanpith Award
- 25 Sep 2020
- 2 min read
Why in News
Renowned Malayalam poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri was conferred the 55th edition of the Jnanpith Award.
Key Points
- About the Award:
- It has achieved the recognition of the highest literary award of the country.
- English along with other Indian languages is considered for the Award.
- The Award is open for only Indian citizens and is given annually.
- The prize carries a cash award of Rs. 11 lakhs, a citation, and a bronze replica of Vagdevi (Saraswati), the goddess of learning.
- It is sponsored by the cultural organization Bharatiya Jnanpith.
- In 2019, author Amitav Ghosh was felicitated with 54th Jnanpith Award. He became the first English language writer to become a Jnanpith laureate.
- About Poet Akkitham:
- Akkitham is the sixth writer to bag the Jnanpith Award for Malayalam literature. In 1965, famous Malayalam writer G Sankara Kurup became the first winner of the Jnanpith Award.
- He is instrumental in heralding modernism in Malayalam poetry.
- He is the only living poet being called Mahakavi (great poet) in Malayalam.
- He has contributed seminal works such as Pathalathinte Muzhakkam, Irupatham Noottandinte Ithihasam, and Balidarshanam.
- His work Balidarshanam won the State and Central Sahitya Akademi Awards in 1972-73.
- He was awarded Padmashri in 2017.
- He has also been bestowed with Ezhuthachan Award (the highest literary honour of the Kerala government), Odakkuzhal Award (given to literary works in Malayalam), and several other honours.
