Kuttikrishna Marar

Kizhakke Marathu Kuttikrishna Marar (15 June 1900 – 6 April 1973) was an Indian essayist and literary critic of Malayalam literature. He was known for Bharathaparyaadanam, a critical study of the Mahabharata, which is counted by many among the most influential books in Malayalam and was a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award and Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award.

Biography Kuttikrishna Marar was born on 15 June 1900 in Triprangode, in Malappuram district of the south Indian state of Kerala to Karikkatt Marathu Krishna Marar and kizhakke Marattu Lakshmikutty Marasyar. He learnt percussion, which was the family profession, along with drawing as early education but his life took a turn when he joined Sree Neelakanta Government Sanskrit College Pattambi where he had the opportunity to study under two known teachers, Punnassery Nambi and Shambu Sharma. Subsequently, he passed the Sahityashiromani examination and started his career as Sahithyacharya at the Kerala Kalamandalam where he worked alongside Vallathol Narayana Menon for 15 years, during which period, he published many of his writings. He was able to find himself a mentor under Nalapat Narayana Menon. From 1938 to 1961 he was the proofreader of the Malayalam daily newspaper, Mathrubhumi. Towards the later part of his life, he was more inclined to spiritual pursuits. He died on 6 April 1973, at the age of 72.

Awards and honours In 1967, Marar received Sahithya Ratnam award from Pattambi Sree Neelakanda Sanskrit College and Sahithya Nipunan award from Government Sanskrit College, Tripunithura. Sahitya Akademi awarded him their annual award in 1966, for his work, Kala Jeevitham Thanne. He received another award for the same work the same year, the inaugural Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Literary Criticism. He received the M. P. Paul Prize also in 1966.