Kannassa Poets

In the 14th century, Niranam produced three poets who gained widespread recognition as the Niranam Poets.They were Madhava Panikkar, Sankara Panikkar, and Rama Panikkar of the Kannassa family. The first two were the uncles of Rama Panikkar. They lived between AD 1350 and 1450. Before their time, the poetry of Kerala was a mix of Malayalam and Sanskrit, known as manipravala. Niranam poets were instrumental in successfully freeing the literature from the influence of this mix.

The emergence of modern Malayalam language began with the works of the Niranam Poets. Their success led to the gradual replacement of the manipravala style, characterised by worldliness and sensual revelry, with an indigenous poetics of high seriousness. Collectively, their works are known as the Niranam Works.

Madhava Panikkar wrote a condensed Malayalam translation of the Bhagavad Gita, which is possibly the first translation of this classic into any modern Indian language. Sankara Panikkar’s main work, Bharatamala, is a masterful condensation of the Mahabharata and is also the first major work of its kind in Malayalam.

The greatest of the three is undoubtedly Rama Panikkar, the author of Ramayanam, Bharatam, Bhagavatam, and Sivarathri Mahatmyam. Among the Niranam Works, Kannassa Ramayanam and Kannassa Bharatam are the most significant. Ulloor, the eminent literary historian of Kerala, has stated that Rama Panikkar holds the same position in Malayalam literature as Spencer does in English literature. Dr. Puthusseri Ramachandran assumed the office of the Chair for the Kannassa Poets on February 3, 2011, as the first incumbent.

Dr.Puthusseri Ramachandran assumed the office of the chair on Kannassa Poets on 3rd February 2011, as the first incumbant.
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