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G Sankara KURUP, (born June 3, 1901, Nayathode, Kerala, India - February 2, 1978, Trivandrum, Kerala), better known as Mahakavi G (The Great Poet G), was the first winner of the Jnanpith Award, the Government of India's highest literary award. He won the prize in 1965 for his collection of poems in Malayalam Odakkuzhal (The bamboo flute, 1950). With part of the prize money he established the literary award Odakkuzhal in 1968.
Apart from 25 collections of poetry, Mahakavi G also wrote verse dramas and collections of literary essays -- in all about 40 works in Malayalam. He also translated into Malayalam the Rubáiyát (1932) of Omar Khayyam, the Sanskrit poem Meghaduta (1944) of Kalidas, and the collection of poems Gitanjali (1959) of Rabindranath Tagore. Indeed, one often speaks of the influence of Tagore and Gandhi on the humanism and nationalism of Mahakavi G. Interestingly, he has also been described as a bard of science who explores the role of science in achieving the human potential.
He worked as teacher of Malayalam at various levels, retiring as a professor in 1956. Apart from this, Mahakavi G also had an active public life as a member (1968-72) of Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament.
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