Changanassery: Noted writer, translator, and orator Prof P Madhavan Pillai, 81, died at Perunna here on Saturday.

He was the recipient of awards instituted by both Kendra Sahitya Akademi and Kerala Sahitya Akademi for his literary works.

His cremation will take place at Krishna Bhavan (Kalathil House) in Perunna on Sunday at 3pm.

Madhavan Pillai rose to fame with the translation of Yayaati, a Marathi work written by Jnanpith laureate V S Khandekar.

He also translated around 25 books into Malayalam from other languages.

He won the Kendra Sahitya Akademi award for his book Mayyadasinte Malika, and the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Sila Padmam. He also edited dictionaries.

Born in Mynagappally in Kollam district in 1941, he bagged the first rank in MA Hindi from University College, Thiruvananthapuram.

He later worked as a lecturer in various colleges run by the NSS management.

He has also served as a professor of Hindi at Sree Sankaracharya University in Kalady, Chairman of the Board of Studies of Hindi in MG University, and Hindi Advisory Board Member of the Union Parliament Affairs Ministry.

He is survived by wife Perunna Kalathil T Yamuna, children M Vidya (teacher, FACT School Udyogamandal), in-laws V Murali (engineer), and Rajalakshmi (cooperative inspector).