Thrissur: Well-known poet and translator Attoor Ravi Varma died on Friday, family sources said.
Ravi Varma, 88, was under treatment for age-related ailments.
One of the pioneers of modern Malayalam poetry, Ravi Varma is a recipient of the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award, Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Poetry and Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Translation, among several other honours.
The Kerala government had honoured him with the Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, the state's highest literary award, in 2012.
The Kerala Sahitya Akademi had inducted him as its distinguished fellow in 2017.
Ravi Varma was born as the son of Madangarly Krishnan Nampoothiri and Ammini Amma of Alukkal Madom at Attoor village in Thalappilly taluk of Thrissur on December 27, 1930. His life changed forever when Ravi Varma joined University College in Thiruvananthapuram for higher studies in 1956.
Ravi Varma realized that poetry was his calling.Friendship with poets including O N V Kurup became part of his life there.
However, inspired by his experiences as a student and after developing an affinity towards the Communist ideology, the works Ravi Varma created were no literary journeys but vitriolic calls for revolution.
After securing a post graduate degree in Malayalam literature, Ravi Varma joined Presidency College in the then Madras as a teacher. During that time, English literature was embroiled in a debate over modernism. In such a scenario, his vast reading helped Attoor introduce modernism in Malayalam poetry also.
When he shifted from Madras to Brennen College, Thalassery, Attoor came in touch with the legendary poet P Kunhiraman Nair. The friendship with āPā led to the creation of the noted poem, 'Megharoopan'.
Apart from 'P', Attoor struck friendship with other leading literary figures such as Joseph Mundassery and G Sankara Kurup also.
Ravi Varma, who retired as a college professor in 1986, had an eventful eight-decade literary career during which he created poetry collections like 'Kavitha' and 'Attoor Ravi Varmayude Kavithakal' as well as translations including 'J J Chila Kurippukal', 'Oru Pulimarathinte Katha' and 'Nale Mattorunal'.
In 1986, Attoor settled in Thrissur with his wife Sridevi.
State Culture Minister A K Balan and Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala condoled the demise of the poet.
(With inputs from PTI)