Ottupulackal Velukkuty Vijayan (2 July 1931 – 30 March 2005), commonly known as O. V. Vijayan, was an Indian author and cartoonist, who was an important figure in modern
Malayalam language
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was d ...
literature. Best known for his
first novel
A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to pu ...
''
Khasakkinte Itihasam
''Khasakkinte Itihasam'' ( or , generally referred to as ''Khasak'' in Malayalam literary circles) is the Malayalam debut novel by Indian writer O. V. Vijayan (1930–2005). It was first serialised in 1968 and published as a single edition in 1 ...
'' (1969), Vijayan was the author of six novels, nine short-story collections, and nine collections of essays, memoirs and reflections.
Born in
Palakkad
Palakkad (), formerly known as Palghat, historically known as Palakkattussery is a city and municipality in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the Palakkad District. Palakkad is most densely populated municipal ...
in 1930, Vijayan graduated from Victoria College in Palakkad and obtained a master's degree in English literature from
Presidency College, Madras
Presidency College is an art, commerce, and science college in the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu, India. On 16 October 1840, this school was established as the Madras Preparatory School before being repurposed as a high school, and then a gra ...
. He wrote his first short story, "Tell Father Gonsalves", in 1953. ''
Khasakkinte Itihasam
''Khasakkinte Itihasam'' ( or , generally referred to as ''Khasak'' in Malayalam literary circles) is the Malayalam debut novel by Indian writer O. V. Vijayan (1930–2005). It was first serialised in 1968 and published as a single edition in 1 ...
'' (''The Legends of Khasak''), Vijayan's first novel, appeared in 1969. It set off a great literary revolution and cleaved the history of Malayalam fiction into pre-Khasak and post-Khasak. While ''Khasakkinte Itihasam'' continues to be his best-known work as an angry young man, his later works, ''
Gurusagaram
''Gurusagaram'' (''Eternity of Grace'') is a 1987 novel written by O. V. Vijayan. The novel is a spiritual odyssey into the human psyche. It differs in language, vision and characterisation from Vijayan's earlier works such as ''Khasakkinte Itih ...
'' (''The Infinity of Grace''), ''Pravachakante Vazhi'' (''The Path of the Prophet'') and ''Thalamurakal'' (''Generations'') bespeak a mature transcendentalist.
Vijayan authored many volumes of short stories, which range from the comic to the philosophical and show a diversity of situations, tones and styles. Vijayan translated most of his own works from Malayalam to English. He was also an editorial cartoonist and political observer and worked for news publications including ''
The Statesman
A statesman or stateswoman typically is a politician who has had a long and respected political career at the national or international level.
Statesman or Statesmen may also refer to:
Newspapers United States
* ''The Statesman'' (Oregon), a n ...
'' and ''
The Hindu
''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
''.
Early life
O. V. Vijayan was born on 2 July 1931 at Vilayanchaathanoor village in Palakkad district in Kerala.Born premature in the seventh month, Vijayan was sickly from childhood and spent most of his time confined to his room. His father O. Velukkutty was an officer in
Malabar Special Police
The Malabar Special Police (MSP) is a paramilitary unit of the State Police of Kerala, India. This unit also trains new recruits and also helps the local police units to maintain law and order during emergencies. During emergencies, this unit ...
of the erstwhile
Madras Province
The Madras Presidency, or the Presidency of Fort St. George, also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision (presidency) of British India. At its greatest extent, the presidency included most of southern India, including the ...
in
British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
. His youngest sister O. V. Usha is a Malayalam poet. As a child, Vijayan was largely homeschooled. Formal schooling began at the age of twelve, when he joined Raja's High School,
Kottakkal
Kottakkal (literally-''Land of the Fort'') is a municipal town in Malappuram district in Kerala, southern India having 32 wards. it is a part of Malappuram metropolitan area and a growing city in Kerala. The town is best known for the Arya V ...
in
Malabar
Malabar may refer to the following:
People
* Malabars, people originating from the Malabar region of India
* Malbars or Malabars, people of Tamil origin in Réunion
Places
* Malabar Coast, or Malabar, a region of the southwestern shoreline o ...
, directly into sixth grade. The informal education arranged by his father during his absentee years was sufficient to keep him at par with his peers. The following year, Velukkutty was transferred and Vijayan joined the school at Koduvayur in
Palakkad
Palakkad (), formerly known as Palghat, historically known as Palakkattussery is a city and municipality in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the Palakkad District. Palakkad is most densely populated municipal ...
. He graduated from Victoria College in Palakkad and obtained a master's degree in English literature from Presidency College. Vijayan taught for some time at
Malabar Christian College
The Malabar Christian College (MCC), established in 1909, is one of the oldest institutions located in Kozhikode, Kerala, India.
History
It was established by Protestant Christian missionaries from Basel, Switzerland with the aim to impart educ ...
,
Kozhikode
Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second l ...
, and Victoria College before opting for journalism.
Literary career
''Khasakkinte Itihasam''
''
Khasakkinte Itihasam
''Khasakkinte Itihasam'' ( or , generally referred to as ''Khasak'' in Malayalam literary circles) is the Malayalam debut novel by Indian writer O. V. Vijayan (1930–2005). It was first serialised in 1968 and published as a single edition in 1 ...
'' (''The Legends of Khasak''), Vijayan's first novel, which took twelve years' writing and rewriting to reach its final form, was published in 1969. A year before, it was serialized in
Mathrubhumi
''Mathrubhumi'' is a Malayalam newspaper that is published from Kerala, India. It was founded by K. P. Kesava Menon, an active volunteer in the Indian freedom struggle against the British. The word "Mathrubhumi" translates to 'mother land'. ...
weekly for 28 weeks starting from January 28, 1968 and set off a great literary revolution and cleaved the history of Malayalam fiction into pre-Khasak and post-Khasak eras. The former era was romantic and formal; the latter is modernist, post-modernist and post-post-modernist, with tremendous experimentation in style and content. The novel, which has drawn comparisons with '' One Hundred Years of Solitude'' of
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብር ...
, is about Ravi, a teacher in an informal education centre in Khasak, and his existential crises. The central character is shown as a visionary who completed his post graduate programme in Physics from a college at
Tambaram
Tambaram is a southern suburb of Chennai, India. Located in the Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu, it is governed by Tambaram City Municipal Corporation and is a part of the Chennai Metropolitan Area.
Etymology
Tambaram is an ancient to ...
. The novel ends when Ravi begins his journey to some other realms of existence. The existential puzzle of man as to why he should exist is explored in this novel. The novel introduced a new poetic style of prose, combining
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
, the
Palakkad
Palakkad (), formerly known as Palghat, historically known as Palakkattussery is a city and municipality in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the Palakkad District. Palakkad is most densely populated municipal ...
dialect and a sanskritized Malayalam. It also introduced a narrative style that moved forth from reality to myths and back. The work was later adapted as a play by
Deepan Sivaraman
Deepan Sivaraman is an Indian theatre director, scenographer and academic. He is the founder oOxygen Theatre Companybased in Delhi. He is from Thrissur, Kerala.
Sivaraman received Charles Wallace India Trust Award in 2003, ''Kerala Sangeeth ...
.
''Dharmapuranam''
''Dharmapuranam'' (''The Saga of Dharmapuri'', 1985) is outwardly a great political satire where the author knows no restraint in lampooning political establishments. The works attempts to lampoon modes of governance through its characters and the setting. The central character is Sidhartha, modelled after
Gautama Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
, whose personality is shown to lead people to enlightenment. Though satirical in its tone, the novel has a spiritual level, too. ''Malayalanadu'' weekly announced that the novel would be serialised from July 1975, but the plan was dropped when the Emergency was proclaimed on June 25, 1975. The novel was finally serialised only in 1977, after the Emergency was lifted and it proved to be prophetic. There were hindrances for its publication as well due to its sexual-scatological language and imagery and as the atrocities perpetrated during Emergency were still haunting the public. Finally, it was published in 1985. Two years later,
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a British publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers The Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the following year.David Selbourne, in ''
The Times Literary Supplement
''The Times Literary Supplement'' (''TLS'') is a weekly literary review published in London by News UK, a subsidiary of News Corp.
History
The ''TLS'' first appeared in 1902 as a supplement to ''The Times'' but became a separate publication ...
'' and
Khushwant Singh
Khushwant Singh (born Khushal Singh, 2 February 1915 – 20 March 2014) was an Indian author, lawyer, diplomat, journalist and politician. His experience in the 1947 Partition of India inspired him to write ''Train to Pakistan'' in 1956 (made ...
rated the novel as ''not the kind of novel you forget in a hurry.'' Vijayan himself described it as a cleansing act that he had no desire to repeat.
Later novels
The third novel, ''
Gurusagaram
''Gurusagaram'' (''Eternity of Grace'') is a 1987 novel written by O. V. Vijayan. The novel is a spiritual odyssey into the human psyche. It differs in language, vision and characterisation from Vijayan's earlier works such as ''Khasakkinte Itih ...
'' (''The Infinity of Grace'', 1987) differs in language, vision and characterisation from the earlier works. It is on the immanence of Guru in the life of the seeker. Guru is everywhere and is manifested in everybody. The seeker partakes of the grace of the Guru as he happens for him unawares and unconditional. The central character is a journalist from Kerala, working in Delhi, going on an assignment to report the Indo-Pak war of 1971. He undergoes an excruciating experience both spiritually and physically to learn how to annihilate all forms of ego. ''Gurusagaram'' fetched him the
Vayalar Award
The Vayalar Award is given for the best literary work in Malayalam. The award was instituted in 1977 by the Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial Trust in memory of the poet and lyricist Vayalar Ramavarma (1928-1975). A sum of 25,000, a silver plate and ce ...
, the central
Sahitya Akademi Award
The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...
and the
Kerala Sahithya Academy
The Kerala Sahitya Akademi or Academy for Malayalam literature is an autonomous body established to promote the Malayalam language and literature. It is situated in City of Thrissur, Kerala in India.
History
The academy was inaugurated on 15 ...
Award in 1991.
''Madhuram Gayathi'' (1990) has been termed as "a fantastic allegory fusing mythology, spirituality and ecology". It is an allegorical fable of the post-Holocaust world with its lovelessness and disharmony. ''Pravachakante Vazhi'' (''The Path of the Prophet''; 1992) emphasises the vision that intuition is perennial and it is one and the same always. This oneness of the revelation makes the ways of all prophets the same. This great education in spirituality is got in those barbarous days of Delhi when the Sikhs were maniacally hunted after and mercilessly butchered following the murder of Indira Gandhi. Vijayan's last novel ''Thalamurakal'' (''Generations''; 1997) is autobiographical to a great extent. It is historical to a still greater extent. Beyond autobiography and history, the novel is a journey down the collective experiences of a family in search of an awareness about oneself and his clan. This search is of great importance when the collective experiences of the subculture are very bitter and the individual sense of the clan identity is much superior. The novel is a narration of four generations in Ponmudi family in Palakkad, Kerala.
Other literary works
He wrote his first short story, "Tell Father Gonsalves", in 1953. He wrote many volumes of short stories, the first volume of which was published in 1957 – ''Three Wars''. The stories, which range from the comic to the philosophical, show an astonishing diversity of situations, tones and styles. O. V. Vijayan's best known collection in English is ''After the Hanging and Other Stories'' which contains several jewel-like masterpieces, in particular the title story about a poor, semi-literate peasant going to the jail to receive the body of his son who has been hanged; ''The Wart'' and ''The Foetus'' about the trauma of the fascist Emergency; the transcendental ''The Airport'', ''The Little Ones'', and several others. He also wrote many essays, and also published one book of cartoons- ''Ithiri Neramboke, Ithiri Darshanam'' (A Little Pastime, A little Vision) – 1990. ''Itihasathinte Itihasam'', a historical treatise written by him is considered by many as masterpiece.
An incisive writer in English as well, Vijayan translated most of his own works from Malayalam to English. Selected works have been published by
Penguin India
Penguins (order Sphenisciformes , family Spheniscidae ) are a group of aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is found north of the Equator. Highly adapt ...
. His own translations of his stories into English – ''After Hanging and Other Stories'' and ''Selected Stories'' and the novels, ''The Saga of Dharmapuri'', ''The Legend of Khasak'' and ''The Infinity of Grace'' – have had a pan-Indian appeal, though many have been critical of the freedoms he took with his own works as well as his English style.
Cartoons
Vijayan left his home state in 1958 to pursue his career as a cartoonist in
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...
. Joining the famous ''
Shankar's Weekly
''Shankar's Weekly'' was an Indian satirical magazine published between 1948 and 1975. It was founded and run by Keshav Shankar Pillai, a pioneering political cartoonist. The magazine has been compared to the UK's ''Punch''.
The weekly printed i ...
'', Delhi, as a cartoonist and writer of political satire, he moved to ''Patriot'' as a staff cartoonist in 1963. Vijayan was also an editorial cartoonist and political observer in various news publications – ''
The Statesman
A statesman or stateswoman typically is a politician who has had a long and respected political career at the national or international level.
Statesman or Statesmen may also refer to:
Newspapers United States
* ''The Statesman'' (Oregon), a n ...
'' and ''
The Hindu
''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'' – and later turned freelancer. His cartoons also appeared in publications such as ''
Far Eastern Economic Review
The ''Far Eastern Economic Review'' (''FEER'') was an Asian business magazine published between 1946 and December 2009 in the English language. Based in Hong Kong, the news magazine published weekly until December 2004, when it converted to a m ...
'' and ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
''. Philosophy and politics merged in his cartoons, just as revolution and spirituality coalesced in his writings. His searing comment on Indira Gandhi's Emergency rule and about her return to power in 1980 would remain high points in the history of Indian cartooning.
Later life and death
Vijayan was married to Theresa Gabriel, an academic and the couple had a son, Madhu. He was afflicted with
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...
for 20 years and in March 2005, he was admitted to Care Hospital,
Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India ...
where he succumbed to organ failure on 30 March 2005 at age of 74, survived by his wife and son. His body was taken to Kerala by special flight and was cremated with full state honours at Ivor Madom crematorium in Pambadi,
Thrissur
Thrissur (), formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the third largest urban agglomeration in Kerala after Kochi and Kozhikode, and t ...
near
Thiruvilwamala
Thiruvilwamala is a hilly village in the northern terrain of Thrissur district of Kerala state in southern India. It is located 47 kilometres northeast of district headquarters Thrissur.
Location
The village, which is more of a temple town, ...
on the banks of the
Bharathapuzha
Bharathappuzha ("River of Bhārata"), also known as the Nila or Ponnani River, is a river in India in the state of Kerala. With a length of 209 km, it is the second longest river that flows through Kerala after the Periyar. It flows thr ...
where his nephew,
Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar (; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, sometimes spelled as Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury; 7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian sitarist and composer. A sitar virtuoso, he became the world's best-known export of North In ...
, a known cartoonist, lit the pyre. Teresa Vijayan died a year after his death, and his son lives in the US.
Awards and honours
Vijayan received the
Odakkuzhal Award
''Odakkuzhal'' is a 1975 Indian Malayalam-language film, directed by P. N. Menon and produced by M. P. Navakumar. The film stars Sheela, Jose Prakash, P. J. Antony and Alummoodan in the lead roles. The film has musical score by M. K. Arjunan ...
for ''
Khasakkinte Itihasam
''Khasakkinte Itihasam'' ( or , generally referred to as ''Khasak'' in Malayalam literary circles) is the Malayalam debut novel by Indian writer O. V. Vijayan (1930–2005). It was first serialised in 1968 and published as a single edition in 1 ...
'' in 1970. His third novel, ''
Gurusagaram
''Gurusagaram'' (''Eternity of Grace'') is a 1987 novel written by O. V. Vijayan. The novel is a spiritual odyssey into the human psyche. It differs in language, vision and characterisation from Vijayan's earlier works such as ''Khasakkinte Itih ...
'', brought him three awards,
Sahitya Akademi Award
The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...
and
Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Novel
The Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Novel is an award given every year by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi (Kerala Literary Academy) to Malayalam writers for writing a novel of literary merit. It is one of the twelve categories of the Kerala Sahitya ...
in 1990 and
Vayalar Award
The Vayalar Award is given for the best literary work in Malayalam. The award was instituted in 1977 by the Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial Trust in memory of the poet and lyricist Vayalar Ramavarma (1928-1975). A sum of 25,000, a silver plate and ce ...
in 1991. When
Muttathu Varkey Award
Muttathu Varkey Award for contributions to the field of Malayalam literature is instituted by the Muttattu Varkey Foundation in memory of novelist Muttathu Varkey. The award was instituted in 1992 and as of 2012, it carries a purse of 50000, a c ...
was instituted in 1992, he received the inaugural award. The Government of Kerala awarded him the
Ezhuthachan Puraskaram
The Ezhuthachan Puraskaram is the highest literary honour is given by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi, Government of Kerala. The award is named after Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan, the father of the Malayalam language and consists of a cash prize of 5,00,00 ...
, their highest literary honour, in 2001, the same year as he was inducted as an honorary fellow by
Kerala Sahitya Akademi
The Kerala Sahitya Akademi or Academy for Malayalam literature is an autonomous body established to promote the Malayalam language and literature. It is situated in City of Thrissur, Kerala in India.
History
The academy was inaugurated on 15 ...
. The Government of India awarded him the
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...
, the third highest civilian honor, in 2003.
Mathrubhumi Literary Award
Mathrubhumi Literary Award (also known as Mathrubhumi Sahitya Puraskaram) is a literary award instituted in 2001 by leading Malayalam daily ''Mathrubhumi''. A sum of 3 lakh, a plaque and citation constitute the award. The award is conferred as a ...
, the last of the awards he received was in 2004, a year before his death. A memorial, ''O. V. Vijayan Memorial'' has been constructed by the Government of Kerala in Thasrak, the setting of his novel, ''Khasakkinte Ithihasam''.
Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India ...
, in 2011, in memory of Vijayan who had spent his last days in Secunderabad. The award consists of a cash component of 50,001, a memento by
Kanayi Kunhiraman
Kanayi Kunhiraman ( ml, കാനായി കുഞ്ഞിരാമന്; born 25 July 1937) is an Indian sculptor, best known for his outsize sculptures such as ''Yakshi'' of Malampuzha Dam Gardens, '' Sagarakanyaka'' at Shankumugham B ...
, and a citation. The award is given to the best book of a writer during the year.Sarah Joseph, Zacharia,
Vijayalakshmi
Vijaya lakshmi is a Hindu Indian feminine given name or surname, which means "goddess of victory". The name may refer to:
People First name
* Vijayalakshmi Atluri, Indian computer scientist
*Vijayalakshmi (Kannada actress), Indian actress
*Vijaya ...
, B. Rajeevan and Usha Kumari are some of the recipients of the award.
Bibliography
Novels
*
*
*
*
*
*
Short stories
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Collection of essays
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Memoirs
*
*
*
Cartoons
*
*
Translations into English
*
*
*
*
*
Translations into French
*
* '' O.V. Vijayan: L'Aéroport, transl. from Malayalam by Dominique Vitalyos, Revue Europe, nov-dec. 2002, pp. 236–241
* ''O.V. Vijayan: Les Rochers, translated from English by Valérie Blavignac, Revue Europe avril 2001, pp. 132–138.
Translations into Hindi
*
Writings on Vijayan
*
*
*
See also
*
List of Indian writers
This is a list of notable writers who come from India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countri ...