Sugathakumari

Sugathakumari was a poet born on 22nd January 1934 to Bodheswaran, aka Keshava Pillai, a freedom fighter and Karthiyayini Amma. Her mother is a Sanskrit scholar. Sugathakumari was born and brought up in Aranmula. Sugathakumari has two siblings, an elder sister, Hridayakumari and a younger sister, Sujatha Devi. Sugatha finished her graduation from University College in Trivandrum. She did her PG degree in Philosophy and researched the Comparative Study of the Concept of Moksha in Indian Schools of Philosophy. However, she couldn’t complete her thesis. Sugatha’s first poem got released in 1957. Her book Paathiraapookal grabbed the attention and she won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Poetry in 1968. In the late 70s, Sugatha led the Silent Valley movement to save the trees and nature. Marathinu Stuthi, her poem had been used in the meetings and campaigns.

In 1978, her book, Raathrimazha, was honored with Kendra Sahitya Academy Award. Her early works are much appreciated for their lyrical nature. Later, she started writing with some feminist ideas. Some of her popular works include Muthuchippi, Manalezhuth, Paavam Manavahridayam, Irulchirakukal and Swapnabhoomi. She also wrote poems for children and was honored with an award for Lifetime Contribution to Children's Literature in 2008. State Institute of Children's Literature honored her with this award. Besides writing the poems and lyrics, she also translated many other language works that impressed her. She is the recipient of the highest award for literature from the Kerala Government, Ezhuthachan Puraskaram. In 2012, she managed to win Saraswati Samman. She had also won Vayalar Award, Kerala Sahitya Akademi fellowship and Pandit Karuppan Award. Besides this, she received the Bhattia Award, the Sacred Soul International Award and the Lakshmi Award for service to society. She is the first woman to receive the Indira Priyadarshini Vriksha Mitra Award from the Indian Government for her dedication towards environmental conservation and afforestation.

Sugathakumari worked as the Principal of Kerala State Jawahar Balabhavan in Trivandrum. She worked as the editor of Thaliru, the children’s magazine. Sugatha founded the organization Abhaya for mentally challenged women. 

She was married to Velayudhan Nair and had a child. Velayudhan died in 2003. Sugatha died on 23rd December 2020 at the age of 86 in Trivandrum.