Tamil poet and lyricist R. Vairamuthu conferred with 60th Jnanpith award
Tamil poet and lyricist R. Vairamuthu has been awarded the 60th Jnanpith Award for his lifetime contribution to literature. The ceremony, held in New Delhi, recognized his significant impact on Indian literary traditions.
Why it matters
The Jnanpith Award is India's highest literary honor, and this recognition highlights the continued cultural importance of regional language literature.
Noted Tamil poet and lyricist R. Vairamuthu was on Monday conferred the 60th Jnanpith Award for the year 2025.
He is the third Tamil literary figure to receive the award, after a gap of 24 years. Earlier recipients include the late writers Akilan and Jayakanthan. Mr. Vairamuthu won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2003 for Kallikattu Ithikasam.
The award was presented by politician and scholar Karan Singh at a ceremony in the National Capital in the presence of literary personalities from across the country. As part of the honour, Mr Vairamuthu received a cash prize of Rs 11 lakh, a bronze statue of Vagdevi (Goddess Saraswati) and a citation.
Delivering the keynote address, Mr Singh stressed on the continuing relevance of literature in the age of science and technology and urged younger generations to forge a deeper connection with Indian languages and literary traditions.
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