Prayar Prabhakaran is a literary critic, academic and orator from Kerala, India. He won several noted awards including Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Overall Contributions and the Thayatt Award for Literary Criticism.

Biography

Prabhakaran was born on 14 August 1930, at Prayar near Oachira in present-day Kollam district, to Lakshmikutty Amma and Swami Brahmavrathanan an orator, scholar and writer. After passing B.Ed. from the Training College, Thiruvananthapuram, from 1950 to 1963 he worked as Malayalam teacher at Sooranad Government High School, and later joined the University College Thiruvananthapuram for his MA. Soon after completing MA in 1964, he became a lecturer at S. N. Women's College, Kollam, and became a teacher in various colleges under the SN Trust. He retired from S. N. College, Kollam on 31 March 1986, and after retirement he became a teacher at Alappuzha B.Ed. Center. He had a penchant for communist ideology from a young age. With A. G. P. Namboothiri and Devikulangara A. Bharathan, he formed the Puthuppally Prayar Party Cell. While a member of the CPI (M) Chunakkara local committee, he took part in an agitation and was imprisoned for four days. Prayar has done many studies in Indian literature. His first work ''Bharatheeya Saahithya Saastra Padanangal'' is a study of Indian literature. He entered the field of critical writing by writing a critical study of Joseph Mundassery's book ''Natakantham Kavitvam''. Communist leader and first chief minister of Kerala,

E. M. S. Namboodiripad Elamkulam Manakkal Sankaran Namboodiripad (13 June 1909 – 19 March 1998), popularly known as EMS, was an Indian communist politician and theorist, who served as the first Chief Minister of Kerala in 1957–1959 and then again in 1967–1969. A ...

notes that Prayar's works should be read by both those who agree and those who oppose the Marxian literary approach. Prabhakaran held several positions including member of the Board of Studies M.A. (Malayalam) of the University of Kerala, member of the Board of Examinations, member of the Faculty of Oriental Studies, member of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi, member of the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi, member of the Senate of the University of Cochin and member of the Thunchan Memorial Governing Council. He was a member of the State Committee of the Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sangham.

Personal life

His wife L. Vasundhathi is retired headmistress of Mavelikkara Govt Girls High School and former Chunakkara panchayat president. Vasundhati is the daughter of K. K. Panicker, his teacher in his Sahithya visharad studies. Couple have 3 children. They lives in their house at Chunakkara, Alappuzha district. The family settled in Chunakkara after his wife was transferred to Chunakkara Government High School.

Selected works

*''Kavi Bharatheeya Sahithya Charitrathil'' *''Asan Kavithayude hrudaya thalam'', study on works of Kumaran Asan *''Anubhoothiyude Anupallavi'' *''Narayana Guru Abheda Darsanathinte Deeptha Saundaryam'', study on works of Narayana Guru *''Bharatheeya Saahithya Saastra Padanangal'' *''Prathibhayude Prakasa Gopurangal'' *''Vedangal Athmavidyayude Adimarekha'', study on Vedas *''Bharatha Muniyute Natya Sastratthiloode'', study on

Bharata Muni Bharata Muni (Hindi: भरत मुनि) was an ancient sage who the musical treatise '' Natya Shastra'' is traditionally attributed to. The work covers ancient Indian dramaturgy and histrionics, especially Sanskrit theatre. Bharata is con ...

's ''Natyasastra'' *''Saundaryabodhathil Oru Kannikkoythu''

Awards and honors

*Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Overall Contributions *Thayatt Award (1998) *K Prasannan Sahithya puraskaram *Abudhabi Sakthi Award *Veenapoovu Satabdi Samman *Thiruvananthapuram Gurudevan Book Trust Award *Dr. Sukumar Azhikkodu Vicharavedi Award

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prabhakaran, Prayar 1930 births Malayalam-language writers Indian literary critics Living people People from Kollam district Recipients of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award