Kuttikrishna Marar

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Kuttikrishna Marar bigraphy, stories - Translators

Kuttikrishna Marar : biography

14 June 1900 – 6 April 1973

Kuttikrishna Marar (14 June 1900 – 6 April 1973) was an Indian essayist and literary critic born in Pattambi, Kerala. Perhaps he was an odd personality who showed courage to question anything that he felt wrong in the field of literary criticism. He never hesitated to show his antipathy to adoration and imitation in the literature. His work on Bharathaparyadanam – A critical study of the Mahabharata is one that won him many honours. It is also a part of the ICSE syllabus with exams being based on it.

He passed the Sahityashiromani exam from the Samskrita College in Pattambi. He started his career as Sahithyacharya at the Kerala Kalamandalam. For 15 years he was with Mahakavi Vallathol Narayana Menon and published many of his writings. From 1938 to 1961 he was the proofreader of the Malayalam daily newspaper,Mathrubhoomi. In 1967, he received ‘Sahithya Ratnam’ award from Pattambi Sree Neelakanda Sanskrit College and ‘Sahithya nipunan’ award from Thrippunithura Sanskrit college. He received the M. P. Paul Award and the Kendra Sahitya Academy Award (Malayalam) in 1966.

His work Malayaala Saili is still one of the most authentic treatises on proper Malayalam usage. Bharata Paryatanam (Travel through Bharata), another important work of Marar is critical exposition of the characters and main events in the epic Mahaabhaarata. Bharatha Paryatanam shows his immense knowledge of the epic, Mahabharatha. Bharatha Paryatanam, Sahithyasallapam, Danthagopuram, Kaivilakku (collections of literary criticism) are his important works on literary criticism. In addition to the above, there are more than 19 collections essays on literary criticism.

Another important work of Marar is "Kala Jeevitham Thanne" (Art is Life itself), which won him Kerala Sahithya Academy Award, Kendra Sahithya Academy Award and M.P. Paul Prize.

He died on April 6, 1973.