Puthussery Ramachandran Pillai (23 September 1928 – 14 March 2020) was an Indian poet of the

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 2 ...

language. He was a scholar of Dravidian linguistics and a professor of Malayalam for more than three decades. On 14 March 2020, he died of age-related illnesses.

Career

Ramachandran was a member of the Syndicate of the

University of Kerala University of Kerala, formerly the University of Travancore, is a state-run public university located in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital of Kerala, India. It was established in 1937 by a promulgation of the Maharajah of Travancore, Chit ...

and was the General Secretary of First World Conference on Malayalam language and Kerala Culture organised by the University of Kerala in 1977. He was the Organizing Secretary of the First All India Conference on Dravidian Linguistics in 1971.

Poetry

Ramachandran's literary efforts were recognised by the

Sahitya Akademi The Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India. Founded on 12 March 1954, it is supported by, though independent of, the Indian government. Its of ...

, who gave him their national award for translation. In 2009

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 ...

conferred him with a fellowship, the most distinguished honour of the Academy. He did much to promote Malayalam language and literature. On the basis of the document prepared and submitted by

Government of Kerala Government of Kerala is the Subnational administrative division, subnational government of the Indian state of Kerala. The government is led by a chief minister, who selects all the other ministers. The chief minister and their most senior mini ...

with his guidance and leadership, Malayalam was recognised as a classical language by the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

in 2013. In recognition of his contributions to the studies on Early and Medieval Malayalam language and literature, the

selected him for the Bhasha Samman in 2014.

Bibliography

The following is a list of his works:

Poetry

* ''Ente Swathantryasamara Kavithakal'' (Poems written for India's Freedom Struggle), 1948 (Reprint 1998) * ''Grameena Gayakan'' (1948) * ''Aavunnathra Uchchathil'' (1954) * ''Puthiyakollanum Puthiyoralayum'' (1960) * ''Sakthipooja'' (1965) * ''Akalumthorum'' (1970) * ''Agnaye Swaha'' (1988) * ''Puthusseri Ramachandrante Kavithakal'' (Selected Poems) (1988) * ''Utsavabali'' (1998) * ''Ee Veettil Aarumille'' (2003) * ''Puthusserikkavithakal'' (Complete poetical works) (2008)

Prose

* ''Ee Mannil Evarodoppam'' (Memoirs) (2011) * ''Theranjedutha Prabhandangal'' (Selected Essays) (2012)

Translations

* ''Media'' (Greek Tragedy by

Euripides Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian of classical Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. Some ancient scholars a ...

) (1965) * ''African Kavithakal'' (33 poems from 13 African Countries) (1989) * ''Charamageetham'' (

Anna Akhmatova Anna Andreyevna Gorenko rus, А́нна Андре́евна Горе́нко, p=ˈanːə ɐnˈdrʲe(j)ɪvnə ɡɐˈrʲɛnkə, a=Anna Andreyevna Gorenko.ru.oga, links=yes; uk, А́нна Андрі́ївна Горе́нко, Ánna Andríyivn ...

's poems in Russian) (1989) * ''

Kulashekhara Alwar Kulasekhara (Tamil: ''குலசேகரர்'') (''fl.'' 9th century CE), one of the twelve Vaishnavite alvars, was a bhakti theologian and devotional poet from medieval south India ( Kerala). He was the author of Perumal Tirumoli in Tamil ...

ude Perumal Tirumozhi'' (Early Tamil Poem) (2001) * ''Puthusseriyude Vivarthanangal'' (2008) * ''Russian African Kavithakal'' (2012)

Critical Editions

* ''Kannassa Ramayanam (Balakandam)'' (1967) * ''Kannassa Ramayanam (Yudhakandam)'' (Published for the first time based on a manuscript of AD 1519) (1971) * ''Pracheena Malayalam'' (Collection Inscriptions) (1978) * ''Kannassa Ramayanam (Sundarakandam)'' (1980) * ''Kannassa Ramayanam (Kishkindakandam)'' (1984) * ''Kerala Panineeya Vimarsam'' (Collection of critical essays with introduction) (1986) * ''Kerala Panineeyam'' (Reprint of the first edition of Malayalam grammar with critical introduction) (1989) * ''Bhasha Bhagavath Gita'' (Complete text with critical edition and commentary) (2002) * ''Kannassa Ramayanam'' (Complete text with critical edition and commentary) (2013)

Festschrift on Dr. Puthusseri Ramachandran

* ''Kavitha Kaalathinte Sakshi'' (1998) * ''Studies in Dravidian Place Names'' (1993)

Works in English

* ''Language of Middle Malayalam'' (1972) * ''Perspectives in Place Name Studies'' (Editor) (1987) * ''Studies in Dravidian Place Names'' (Editor) (1989) * ''Ellis on Malayalam Language'' (2003)

Works Translated

* ''Puthusseri ki Kavitha'' (Hindi) (2001) His poems were translated into Hindi, English and Tamil published in various journals.

Awards

* Bhasha Samman,

(2014) *

Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize or Sahitya Akademi Prize for Translation is a literary honour in India, presented by Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, given to "outstanding translations of creative and critical works" in 24 m ...

, Sahitya Akademi (2004) * Fellowship,

(2009) *

Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Overall Contributions The Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Overall Contributions is an award given every year by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi (Kerala Literary Academy) to Malayalam writers for their overall contributions to Malayalam literature. It is one of the twelve ...

(1999) *

Abu Dhabi Sakthi Award Abu Dhabi Sakthi Award is a literary award instituted by UAE-based Abu Dhabi Sakthi Theatres and awarded to writers in Malayalam literature Malayalam, the lingua franca of the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep an ...

(Poetry) (2005) *

(Other category literature) (2018) - ''Thilacha Mannil Kalnadayayi'' * N. V. Krishna Warrier Vignjaana Puraskaram (2008) * Mahakavi Vallathol Award (2008) *

Asan Smaraka Kavitha Puraskaram Asan Memorial Poetry Prize or Asan Smaraka Kavitha Puraskaram is a literary award instituted in 1985 by Madras-based Asan Memorial Association in memory of Malayalam poet Kumaran Asan. It is given annually to honour outstanding poets in Malay ...

(Asan Memorial Association, Chennai) (2008) * Yesenin Award, Russia (2012) * Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, Kerala (2015) *

Thoppil Bhasi Thoppil Bhaskara Pillai, known as Thoppil Bhasi (8 April 1924 – 8 December 1992) was an Indian Malayalam-language playwright, screenwriter, and film director. He was associated with the communist movement in Kerala and his play ''Ningalenne C ...

Award (2016)

Positions held

* Founder Member, C. Achutha Menon Foundation (1991)

References

External links

"Kerala Sahitya Akademi Awards""Sergei Yesenin Award"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramachandran, Puthussery 1928 births Malayalam poets 20th-century Indian translators Poets from Kerala Sree Narayana College, Kollam alumni University College Thiruvananthapuram alumni University College Thiruvananthapuram faculty Recipients of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award 2020 deaths People from Alappuzha district English-language writers from India 20th-century Indian linguists 20th-century Indian essayists 20th-century Indian poets Indian literary critics Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Prize for Translation Recipients of the Abu Dhabi Sakthi Award