C. G. Rajagopal

C. G. Rajagopal was a polyglot, poet and translator from Kerala, India. He received many awards including the Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize 2019, a literary honour in India, presented by Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters.

His main literary contribution is Malayalam translation of Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas (Thulasidasa Ramayana), which has 26152 lines and 46 Sanskrit verses.

Biography Rajagopal was born on 21 May 1932 to C. S. Gopalakaimal and K. Parukutty Amma at Neeretupuram of Kuttanad Thalavadi in present-day Alappuzha district of Kerala, India. He studied intermediate at SN College, Kollam.

Career Rajagopal, who returned from Lucknow after his higher studies, first became a lecturer at Pala St. Thomas College. Later, from 1993 to 1996, he became the Dean of the Department of Non-Sanskrit Indian Languages at the Sree Sankaracharya Sanskrit University.

Rajagopal completed the translation of Tulasidasasa Ramayana, which has 26152 lines and 46 Sanskrit verses, in five and a half years. Prof. Thuravoor Vishwambharan Memorial Award of Tapasya Kala Sahityavedi, for his contributions to translation literature and creative writings. Special award from the Vallathol Sahithya Samithi for the translation of Thulaseedasa Ramayanam to Malayalam.