Akkitham Achuthan Namboodiri, the renowned poet, philosopher and Jnanpith laureate, who believed in the ultimate power of love, has left us for his heavenly abode. The historical and poetic life came to an end at 8.10 today (15.10.2020) morning. He was 94. Akkitham was undergoing treatment in a private hospital in Thrissur for age related ailments for the past few days.
Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri (18 March 1926 – 15 October 2020), popularly known as Akkitham, was a Malayalam language poet. He was born in 1926 to the couple Akkitham Vasudevan Nambudiri and Chekoor Parvathy Antharjanam. (Woman belonging to Nambudiri community is generally referred as Antharjanam) at Kumaranallur in Palakkad (Palghat) district of the southern Indian state of Kerala and lives there. His house, originally called Amettoor Akkithath Mana, is located at Kumaranelloor of Palakkad district in Kerala. He is a well known Malayalam language poet, essayist, editor and a highly decorated literary personality among contemporary Malayalam writers. Fondly known as Akkittam, his literary works began to gain wide attention in the early 1950s.
Akkitham was married to Sreedevi Antharjanam and the couple has a son, Narayanan and a daughter, Sreeja. The family lives in Amettikkara. Sreedevi Antharjanam, the wife of Akkitham, died on 13 March 2019, aged 85. Noted painter Akkitham Narayanan is his younger brother.
“When I shed a drop of tear
soaked in compassion for others
a thousand universes drawn in my heart
When I spend a smile from my lips
wetted with my love for others
the gentle, ever pure moonlight fills my heart.
I knew not till date
of this divine rapturous enlightened flow
thinking again and again of this knowledge denied
shattered in mind, I weep.”
– wrote Akkitham in ‘Irupatham Noottandinte Ithihasam’ (Epic of the 20th Century), a poetic masterpiece that has been termed as one of the first works that heralded modernism in Malayalam poetry.
He advocated for a universal love towards everything that exists in Nature, a sort of leitmotif that resonates all throughout his poetic creations. Akkitham, while elaborating on his own poetry, once said, “Happiness is merely a process of erasing sadness. There is only one remedy for pain and sadness – and that remedy is Love.”
In one of his poems ‘Science’ rendered on an anecdotal note, we are casually thrown into the company of a seemingly superstitious gentleman who is accosted by one with an avowed scientific bent of mind, only to have the tables subtly turned on him. Originally titled ‘Sasthram’ from the 1991-released Sparsamanikal, the poem revolves around an incident in the life of the world-renowned scientist Louis Pasteur.
In his long and fruitful life, the 94-year-old has penned hundreds of poems in addition to bringing out a collection of short stories, essays and plays.
He has won many awards and titles including honours from the Kerala Sahithya Academy and the Kendra Sahithya Academy. In 2017, he was bestowed with Padma Shri.
Akkitham was one who believed in the coexistence of the physical and the metaphysical in a seamless web woven by the universe itself. Rather than attempting to arrive at a scientific backing of all that is there to comprehend, he was one who accepted the truth for what it is. Such an utter lack of scepticism is what makes it difficult for a section of readers and critics to slot him into any one particular category.
Akkitham has been involved in social reform activities and through his association with Yogakshema Sabha, he has strived to bring in reforms in the lives of the Namboothiri Brahmins of Kerala. He was associated with various centres in Thirunavaya, Kadavallur and Thrissur, for the promotion of vedic studies. He was also associated with the Paliyam Sathyagraha, a peaceful protest against untouchability in 1947.
Poetry
- Akkitham (1971). Upanayanam. S.P.C.S.
- Akkitham. Idinju Polinja Lokam: Kavithakal.
- Akkitham. Samavarthanam.
- Akkitham. Balidarsanam. Kottayam: S.P.C.S
- Akkitham (2002). Akkitham kavithakal: sampoorna samahaaram(1946-2001). Kottayam: Current Books.
- Akkitham (2013). Thiranjedutha Kavithakal. DC Books
- Akkitham (1997). Samanvayathinte aakaasham. Kottayam: D.C. Books.
- Akkitham (1991). Sparsamanikal. Kottayam: D.C. Books.
- Akkitham (1985). Amruthaghatika: Kavitha Calicut: P. K. Brothers.
- Akkitham (1980). Maanasa Pooja: Kavithakal.
- Akkitham (1966). Oru kula mundiringa. Current books, Thrissur: Current Books.
- Akkitham (1961). Sanjarikal. Current Books: Current Books.
- Akkitham (1996). Slokapunyam. Akhila Kerala Akshara Sloka Parishath, Thrissur: Akhila Kerala Akshara Sloka Parishath, Thrissur.
- Akkitham. Amrithaghadikam. Calicut: P.K. Brothers.
- Achuthan Namboothiri, Akkitham (2013). Anthimahakalam (3rd ed.). Kozhikode: Mathrubhumi Books.
- Akkitham (1975). Kolaya Randu. National Bk Stall: National Book Stall.
- Akkitham (1948). Prathikaradevatha. Mathrubhumi: Mathrubhumi.
- Akkitham (1969). Karathalamalakam. Mangalodayam Ltd. Trissivaperur: Mangalodayam.
- Akkitham (1966). Madhuvidhuvinusesham. Mangalodayam: Mangalodayam.
- Akkitham (1969). Irupatham Noottandinte Ithihasam. Mangalodayam: Mangalodayam.
- Akkitham (1966). Sagarasangeetham. Mangalodayam: Mangalodayam.
- Akkitham (1963). Madhuvidu. Mangalodayam: Mangalodayam.
- Akkitham (1951). Manasakshiyude Pookkal. Mangalodayam: Mangalodayam.[l
- Akkitham (1967). Oru Kudanna nilavu. Mangalodayam: Mangalodayam.
- Akkitham (1947). Desasevika. Mangalodayam: Mangalodayam.
- Akkitham (1965). Avathalangal. Mangalodayam: Mangalodayam.
- Akkitham (1998). Ponnanikalari. Kottayam: Sahithya Pravarthaka Sahakarana Sankham, Kottayam.
- Akkitham (1948). Prathikaradevatha. Yogakshemam Limitted: Yogakshemam Limitted.
- Akkitham (1990). Kalikkottilil. Trivandrum: State Institute of Children’s Literature.
- Akkitham (2016). Kedatha Sooryan. Sukapuram: Vallathol Vidyapeetham.
Awards and
achievements
■ Kerala Sahithya Academy Award 1972
■ Odakkuzhal Award 1973
■ Kendra Sahithya
Academy Award 1973
■ Writers Co-operative
Society Award 1975
■ Ulloor Award 1994
■ Asan Award 1994
■ Lalithambika Antharjanam
Award 1995
■ Vallathol Award 1996
■ Krishnageethi Award 1997
■ Kerala Sahithya
Academy Awrad 1998
■ Krishnashtami Award 2000
■ Sanjayan Award 2003
■ Padmaprabha Award 2003
■ Abuddabi Malayali Award 2006.
■ Panthalam Keralavarma Raja Sahithya Award 2006
■ Jnanappana Poonthanam
Sahithya Award 2006
■ Kabeer Samman 2007
(Madhyapresh Government)
■ Balamaniyamma Award 2007
■ Ezhuthachan Award 2007
(Kerala Government)
■ Samastha Kerala Sahithya
Parishath Awrad 2008
■ Vagbatananda Award 2009
■ Moorthidevi Award by
Jnana peedam 2011
■ Vayalar Award 2012
■ Naalappadan Award 2012
■ Tagore Award 2012
■ Padma Shri 2017
Titles
■ ‘Sahithya Nipuna’ with gold medal by Government Sanskrit College, Thripunithura 1973
■ ‘Sahithya Ratna’ Title with gold medal Government Sanskirit College Pattambi 1973
■ ‘Fellow at the Department of Education’ Government of India 1978-1982
■ ‘Panditha Ratnam’ by Viswa Samskritha Prathishtan Kochi 1990
■ ‘Senior Fellowship’ Kerala Sahithya Academy 2006
