New Delhi, March 14 (IANS) The 60th Jnanpith Award, India’s highest literary honour, for the year 2025 will be conferred on distinguished Tamil poet, lyricist and writer R. Vairamuthu.

This was announced by the Bharatiya Jnanpith on Saturday.

He has been selected for the prestigious award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Tamil literature, marked by creative depth and a distinctive poetic voice.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Bharatiya Jnanpith Selection Committee chaired by noted writer Pratibha Ray. The committee comprised eminent litterateurs and scholars including Madhav Kaushik, Damodar Mauzo, Suranjan Das, A. Krishna Rao, Prafulla Shiledar, Kesubhai Desai, Janaki Prasad Sharma, K. Srinivas Rao and Maheshwar.

Born on July 13, 1953, in Tamil Nadu, R. Vairamuthu is regarded as one of the most prominent voices in contemporary Tamil literature. His works are known for their evocative portrayal of human emotions, social concerns and a deep sensitivity towards nature.

Over a literary career spanning more than four decades, he has made significant contributions across poetry, lyrics and prose. His writings have gained wide readership for their originality, emotional depth and strong cultural grounding.

Vairamuthu has authored more than 37 books, including poetry collections and novels. Some of his acclaimed works include Kallikattu Ethikasam, Karuvachi Kaaviyam, Thanni Desam and Moondraam Ullaga Por (The Third World War).

During his career, he has received several prestigious honours, including the National Film Award for Best Lyrics on seven occasions. He was also awarded the Padma Shri in 2003 and the Padma Bhushan in 2014 by the Government of India.

In the same year as the Padma Shri, he received the Sahitya Akademi Award for his celebrated novel Kallikattu Ethikasam.

The Government of Tamil Nadu has also honoured him with the Kalaimamani award for his contributions to literature and the arts.

The selection committee noted that although Tamil is one of India’s richest literary languages, only two Tamil writers — P.V. Akilan (1975) and D. Jayakanthan (2002) — had previously received the Jnanpith Award.

The award to R. Vairamuthu is therefore seen as further recognition of the vibrant tradition of Tamil literature on the national stage.

The Jnanpith Award carries a cash prize of Rs 11 lakh, a bronze statuette of Vagdevi (Goddess Saraswati), and a citation, and is presented annually to an author for outstanding contribution to literature in any of the Indian languages.

–IANS

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