Jnanpith Award
Encyclopedia
The Jnanpith Award is a literary award in India
. Along with the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
, it is one of the two most prestigious literary honours in the country. It is presented by the Bharatiya Jnanpith
, a trust founded by the Sahu Jain
family, the publishers of the The Times of India
newspaper.
is taken from Sanskrit
words gnyāna
and pīṭha
(knowledge-seat). It carries a check for 7 lakh, a citation plaque and a bronze
replica of Saraswati
, the Indian goddess of knowledge, music, and the arts.
The award was instituted in 1961, and its first recipient, in 1965, was the Malayalam writer G. Sankara Kurup
. Any Indian citizen who writes in any of the official languages of India
is eligible for the honour.
Prior to 1982, the awards were given for a single work by a writer
; since then, the award has been given for a lifetime contribution to Indian literature. Nine individuals [Including the 2009 award which is being shared by two Hindi writers] writing in Hindi
have been honoured with the award, eight in Kannada
, five in Bengali
and Malayalam
, four in Urdu
and three in Gujarati
, Oriya
and Marathi
.
The award announcements have lately been lagging behind the award-years. The awards for the years 2005 and 2006 were announced on November 22, 2008, and were awarded to the Hindi writer Kunwar Narayan
for 2005 and jointly to Konkani
writer Ravindra Kelekar
and Sanskrit
scholar Satya Vrat Shastri
for 2006. Satya Vrat Shastri
is the first Sanskrit poet to be conferred the award since its inception.
The awards for the 45th and 46th Jnanpith for the years 2009 and 2010 respectively, were announced on 20 September, 2011. The 45th award was jointly conferred on Hindi littérateurs Amar Kant
and Shrilal Shukla, and the 46th on the Kannada littérateur Chandrashekhara Kambara
.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Along with the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
The Sahitya Akademi Fellowship is a literary honour in India. Awarded by the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, to the "immortals of literature," and limited to twenty one individuals at any given time, it is the highest literary honour conferred by the Government of India...
, it is one of the two most prestigious literary honours in the country. It is presented by the Bharatiya Jnanpith
Jnanapith Trust
Bharatiya Jnanpith a literary and research organization, was founded on February 18, 1944 by Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain of the Sahu Jain family and his wife Rama Jain to undertake systematic research and publication of Sanskrit, Prakrit, Pali and Apabhramsha texts.Its research and publication...
, a trust founded by the Sahu Jain
Sahu Jain
Sahu Jain is an important industrial family of India. They own the Times Group and its parent company, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.. They are of Agrawal Jain community....
family, the publishers of the The Times of India
The Times of India
The Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
newspaper.
The Award
The name of the awardAward
An award is something given to a person or a group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field; a certificate of excellence. Awards are often signifiedby trophies, titles, certificates, commemorative plaques, medals, badges, pins, or ribbons...
is taken from Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
words gnyāna
Jnana
Jñāna or gñāna is a Sanskrit and Pali word that means knowledge. It has various nuances of meaning depending on the context. The idea of jnana centers around a cognitive event which is recognized when experienced...
and pīṭha
Pitha
Pitha , or pithe is a type of cake or bread common in Bangladesh and India, especially the eastern states of Assam, Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and the northeastern region. Pithas are typically made of rice flour, although there are some types of pitha made of wheat flour...
(knowledge-seat). It carries a check for 7 lakh, a citation plaque and a bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
replica of Saraswati
Saraswati
In Hinduism Saraswati , is the goddess of knowledge, music, arts, science and technology. She is the consort of Brahma, also revered as His Shakti....
, the Indian goddess of knowledge, music, and the arts.
The award was instituted in 1961, and its first recipient, in 1965, was the Malayalam writer G. Sankara Kurup
G. Sankara Kurup
G. Sankara Kurup, , better known as Mahakavi G , was the first winner of the Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary award...
. Any Indian citizen who writes in any of the official languages of India
Languages of India
The languages of India belong to several language families, the major ones being the Indo-European languages—Indo-Aryan and the Dravidian languages...
is eligible for the honour.
Prior to 1982, the awards were given for a single work by a writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
; since then, the award has been given for a lifetime contribution to Indian literature. Nine individuals [Including the 2009 award which is being shared by two Hindi writers] writing in Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
have been honoured with the award, eight in Kannada
Kannada language
Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world...
, five in Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
and Malayalam
Malayalam language
Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people...
, four in Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
and three in Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
, Oriya
Oriya language
Oriya , officially Odia from November, 2011, is an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. It is mainly spoken in the Indian states of Orissa and West Bengal...
and Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
.
The award announcements have lately been lagging behind the award-years. The awards for the years 2005 and 2006 were announced on November 22, 2008, and were awarded to the Hindi writer Kunwar Narayan
Kunwar Narayan
Kunwar Narain is a poet and a presence in Indian literature, often regarded as the leading living poet in Hindi. He has read and traveled widely, written over the last six decades and is among the few intellectuals who combine an international modern sensibility with a grounding in their...
for 2005 and jointly to Konkani
Konkani language
KonkaniKonkani is a name given to a group of several cognate dialects spoken along the narrow strip of land called Konkan, on the west coast of India. This is, however, somewhat an over-generalisation. Geographically, Konkan is defined roughly as the area between the river Damanganga to the north...
writer Ravindra Kelekar
Ravindra Kelekar
Ravindra Kelekar was a noted Indian author who wrote primarily in the Konkani language, though he also wrote in Marathi and Hindi. A Gandhian activist, freedom fighter and a pioneer in the modern Konkani movement, he is a well known Konkani scholar, linguist, and creative thinker...
and Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
scholar Satya Vrat Shastri
Satya Vrat Shastri
Satya Vrat Shastri is a highly decorated Sanskrit scholar, writer, grammarian and poet from India. He has written three Mahakavyas, three Khandakavyas, one Prabandhakavyas and one Patrakavya and five works in critical writing in Sanskrit...
for 2006. Satya Vrat Shastri
Satya Vrat Shastri
Satya Vrat Shastri is a highly decorated Sanskrit scholar, writer, grammarian and poet from India. He has written three Mahakavyas, three Khandakavyas, one Prabandhakavyas and one Patrakavya and five works in critical writing in Sanskrit...
is the first Sanskrit poet to be conferred the award since its inception.
The awards for the 45th and 46th Jnanpith for the years 2009 and 2010 respectively, were announced on 20 September, 2011. The 45th award was jointly conferred on Hindi littérateurs Amar Kant
Amar Kant
Amar Kant is a noted writer of Hindi literature. His novel Inhin Hathiyaron Se earned him the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2007. Octogenarian Amar Kant is fighting against penury. And his only weapon is his pen. He has been awarded Jnanpith Award for the year 2009.-References:...
and Shrilal Shukla, and the 46th on the Kannada littérateur Chandrashekhara Kambara
Chandrashekhara Kambara
Chandrashekhara Kambara is a prominent poet, playwright, folklorist, film director in Kannada language and the founder-vice-chancellor of Kannada University in Hampi. He is known for his effective usage of North Karnataka dialect of Kannada language in his plays and poems and is often compared...
.
Jnanpith Award recipients
| Year | State | Name | Works | Language | Picture |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Kerala | G. Sankara Kurup G. Sankara Kurup G. Sankara Kurup, , better known as Mahakavi G , was the first winner of the Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary award... |
Odakkuzhal (Flute) | Malayalam | |
| 1966 | West Bengal | Tarashankar Bandopadhyaya | Ganadevta | Bengali Bengali language Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script... |
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| 1967 | Karnataka | Kuppali Venkatappagowda Puttappa Kuvempu Kuppali Venkatappagowda Puttappa was a Kannada writer and poet, widely regarded as the greatest poet of 20th century Kannada literature. He is the first among eight recipients of Jnanpith Award for Kannada. Puttappa wrote all his literary works using the pen name Kuvempu... (Kuvempu) |
Sri Ramayana Darshanam | Kannada Kannada language Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world... |
 |
| 1967 | Gujarat | Umashankar Joshi Umashankar Joshi Umashankar Joshi was an eminent poet, scholar and writer. He received the Jnanpith Award in 1967 for his contribution to Indian, especially Gujarati literature.-Works:... |
Nishitha | Gujarati Gujarati language Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages... |
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| 1968 | Sumitranandan Pant Sumitranandan Pant Sumitranandan Pant was one of the most famous modern Hindi poets. He is considered one of the major poets of the Chhayavaadi school of Hindi literature. Pant mostly wrote in Sanskritized Hindi. Pant authored twenty eight published works including poetry, verse plays and essays.Pant was born at... |
Chidambara | Hindi Hindi Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi... |
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| 1969 | Uttar Pradesh | Firaq Gorakhpuri Firaq Gorakhpuri Raghupati Sahay , better known under his pen name Firaq Gorakhpuri , was a writer, critic, and one of the most noted contemporary Urdu poets from India... |
Gul-e-Naghma | Urdu Urdu Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an... |
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| 1970 | Andra Pradesh | Viswanatha Satyanarayana Viswanatha Satyanarayana Viswanatha Satyanarayana , popularly known as the Kavi Samraat , was a modern Telugu poet.He was a disciple of the Tirupati Venkata Kavulu duo... |
Ramayana Kalpavrikshamu (A resourceful tree:Ramayana) | Telugu Telugu language Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu... |
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| 1971 | Bengal | Bishnu Dey Bishnu Dey Bishnu Dey was a prominent Bengali poet, prose writer, translator, academic and art critique in the era of modernism, post-modernism... |
Smriti Satta Bhavishyat | Bengali Bengali language Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script... |
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| 1972 | Bihar | Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar was an Indian Hindi poet, essayist and academic, who is considered as one of the most important modern Hindi poets. He remerged as a poet of rebellion as a consequence of his nationalist poetry written in the days before Indian independence... |
Urvashi | Hindi Hindi Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi... |
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| 1973 | Karnataka | Dattatreya Ramachandra Bendre | Nakutanti (Naku Thanthi) (Four Strings) | Kannada Kannada language Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world... |
 |
| 1973 | Orissa | Gopinath Mohanty Gopinath Mohanty Gopinath Mohanty ,winner of the prestigious jnanpith award, eminent Oriya novelist of the mid-twentieth century is arguably the greatest Oriya writer after Fakir Mohan Senapati .-Early life and education:... |
Paraja | Oriya Oriya language Oriya , officially Odia from November, 2011, is an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. It is mainly spoken in the Indian states of Orissa and West Bengal... |
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| 1974 | Maharashtra | Vishnu Sakharam Khandekar Vishnu Sakharam Khandekar Vishnu Sakharam Khandekar was an eminent Marathi writer from Maharashtra, India.-Early life:... |
Yayati | Marathi Marathi language Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most... |
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| 1975 | Tamilnadu | P. V. Akilan Akilan Akilan was a Tamil author noted for his realistic and creative writing style. Akilan was a freedom fighter, novelist, short-story writer, journalist, satirist, travel writer, playwright, script-writer, orator and critic.He is also a children's novelist.... |
Chitttrappavai | Tamil Tamil people Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,... |
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| 1976 | Bengal | Ashapurna Devi Ashapoorna Devi Ashapoorna Devi , also Ashapurna Debi or Asha Purna Devi, is a prominent Bengali novelist and poet. She was born in 8 January 1909. She has been widely honoured with a number of prizes and awards... |
Pratham Pratisruti | Bengali Bengali language Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script... |
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| 1977 | Karnataka | K. Shivaram Karanth K. Shivaram Karanth Kota Shivaram Karanth was a major Kannada writer, social activist, environmentalist, Yakshagana artist, film maker and thinker. He was described as the "Rabindranath Tagore of Modern India who has been one of the finest novelists-activists since independence" by Ramachandra Guha... |
Mookajjiya Kanasugalu (Mookajjis dreams) | Kannada Kannada language Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world... |
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| 1978 | Uttar Pradesh | Sachchidananda Hirananda Vatsyayan 'Ajneya' | Kitni Navon Men Kitni Bar (How many times in many boats?) | Hindi Hindi Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi... |
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| 1979 | Assam | Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya Dr. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya was a famous Indian writer and one of the pioneers of modern Assamese Literature. He was first ever recipient of the Jnanpith Award given to an Assamese writer, in the year 1979 for his novel Mrityunjay... |
Mrityunjay (Immortal) | Assamese Assamese language Assamese is the easternmost Indo-Aryan language. It is used mainly in the state of Assam in North-East India. It is also the official language of Assam. It is also spoken in parts of Arunachal Pradesh and other northeast Indian states. Nagamese, an Assamese-based Creole language is widely used in... |
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| 1980 | Kerala | S. K. Pottekkatt S. K. Pottekkatt Sankaran Kutty Pottekkatt , popularly known as S. K. Pottekkatt, was a famous Malayalam writer from Kerala state, South India... |
Oru Desathinte Katha Oru Desathinte Katha Oru Desathinte Katha is a Malayalam novel written by S. K. Pottekkatt in 1971. In the novel, S. K. Pottekkatt sketches the men and women of Athiranippadam, drawing the history of the country while detailing the micro-history of a place. It won the Kendra Sahitya Academy Award in 1972, and Jnanpith... (Story of a land) |
Malayalam | |
| 1981 | Amrita Pritam Amrita Pritam Amrita Pritam was a Punjabi writer and poet, considered the first prominent woman Punjabi poet, novelist, and essayist, and the leading 20th-century poet of the Punjabi language, who is equally loved on both the sides of the India-Pakistan border, with a career spanning over six decades, she... |
Kagaj te Canvas | Punjabi Punjabi language Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language... |
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| 1982 | Uttar Pradesh | Mahadevi Varma Mahadevi Varma Mahadevi Varma best known as an outstanding Hindi poet, was a freedom fighter, woman's activist and educationist from India. She is widely regarded as the "modern Meera". She was a major poet of the Chhayavaad generation, a period of romanticism in Modern Hindi poetry ranging from 1914-1938... |
Yama | Hindi Hindi Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi... |
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| 1983 | Karnataka | Maasti Venkatesh Ayengar | Chikkaveera Rajendra (Life and struggle of Kodava King Chikkaveera Rajendra) | Kannada Kannada language Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world... |
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| 1984 | Kerala | Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai was a novelist and short story writer of Malayalam language, spoken in Kerala state, South India. He is popularly known as Thakazhi, after his place of birth. He focused on the oppressed classes as the subject of his works, which are known for their attention to... |
Kayar {Coir} | Malayalam | |
| 1985 | Pannalal Patel Pannalal Patel Pannalal Nanalal Patel is a Gujarati author. He was the recipient of Jnanpith Award in 1985. He was born at Mandli village, Dungarpur, Rajasthan.-Works:- Novels :* Maanavi Ni Bhavaai... |
Maanavi Ni Bhavaai (માનવીની ભવાઇ) | Gujarati Gujarati language Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages... |
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| 1986 | Sachidananda Rout Roy Sachidananda Rout Roy Sachidananda Rautray was an Oriya poet, novelist, short-shorty writer. He received Jnanpith Award, the highest literary award of India, in 1986. He was popularly known as Sachi Routray.-Life:... |
Oriya Oriya language Oriya , officially Odia from November, 2011, is an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. It is mainly spoken in the Indian states of Orissa and West Bengal... |
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| 1987 | Maharashtra | Vishnu Vaman Shirwadkar (Kusumagraj Kusumagraj Vishnu Vāman Shirwādkar , popularly known by his pen name, Kusumāgraj , was an eminent Marathi poet, playwright, novelist, short story writer, apart from being a humanist, who wrote of freedom, justice and emancipation of the deprived, In a career spanning five decades starting in... ) |
Natsamrat | Marathi Marathi language Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most... |
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| 1988 | Andhra Pradesh | Dr. C. Narayana Reddy | Vishwambhara | Telugu Telugu language Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu... |
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| 1989 | Qurratulain Hyder Qurratulain Hyder Qurrat-ul-Ain Haider was an influential Urdu novelist and short story writer, an academic, and a journalist. One of the most outstanding literary names in Urdu literature, she is most known for her magnum opus, Aag Ka Darya , a novel first published in Urdu in 1959, from Lahore, Pakistan, that... |
Akhire Shab Ke Humsafar | Urdu Urdu Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an... |
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| 1990 | Karnataka | V. K. Gokak V. K. Gokak Vinayaka Krishna Gokak was a major writer in Kannada language and a scholar of English and Kannada literatures. He was fifth among eight recipients of Jnanpith Award for Kannada language for his epic Bharatha Sindhu Rashmi... (Vinayaka Krishna Gokak) |
Bharatha Sindhu Rashmi | Kannada Kannada language Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world... |
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| 1991 | Bengal | Subhas Mukhopadhyay Subhas Mukhopadhyay (poet) Subhash Mukhopadhyay Subhash Mukhopadhyay Subhash Mukhopadhyay (Bangla: সুভাষ মুখোপাধ্যায় (February 12, 1919 - July 8, 2003) was one of the foremost Bengali poets of the 20th century.-Early life:Mukhopadhyay was born in Krishnanagar, a town in Nadia district in the province of West Bengal... |
Padati | Bengali Bengali language Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script... |
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| 1992 | Naresh Mehta | Hindi Hindi Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi... |
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| 1993 | Sitakant Mahapatra Sitakant Mahapatra Sitakant Mahapatra is a notable Indian poet and literary critic in Oriya as well as English. He has also been in the Indian Administrative Service since 1961 until retiring in 1995, and has since held ex-officio posts such as the Chairman of National Book Trust, New Delhi.He is the first Oriya to... |
"for outstanding contribution to the enrichment of Indian literature, 1973-92" | Oriya Oriya language Oriya , officially Odia from November, 2011, is an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. It is mainly spoken in the Indian states of Orissa and West Bengal... |
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| 1994 | Karnataka | U. R. Ananthamurthy U. R. Ananthamurthy Udupi Rajagopalacharya Ananthamurthy is a contemporary writer and critic in the Kannada language and is considered as one of the pioneers of the Navya movement. He is well known among Indian authors. He is the sixth person among eight recipients of the Jnanpith Award for the Kannada language, the... |
for his contributions to Kannada literature | Kannada Kannada language Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world... |
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| 1995 | Kerala | Dr. M. T. Vasudevan Nair M. T. Vasudevan Nair Madathil Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair , popularly known as MT, is an Indian author, screenplay writer and film director. He was born in Kudallur, a small village in the present day Palakkad District, which was under the Malabar District in the Madras Presidency of the British Raj... |
Randamoozham (Second Chance) | Malayalam |  |
| 1996 | Bengal | Mahasweta Devi Mahasweta Devi Mahasweta Devi is an Indian social activist and writer.- Biography :Mahasweta Devi was born in 1926 in Dhaka, to literary parents in a Hindu Brahmin family. Her father Manish Ghatak was a well known poet and novelist of the Kallol era, who used the pseudonym Jubanashwa... |
Hajar Churashir Ma | Bengali Bengali language Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script... |
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| 1997 | Ali Sardar Jafri Ali Sardar Jafri Ali Sardar Jafri was an Urdu writer, poet, critic and film lyricist from India.-Early life and education:Ali Sardar Jafri was born in an aristocratic family in Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh, where he spent his formative years.... |
Urdu Urdu Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an... |
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| 1998 | Karnataka | Girish Karnad Girish Karnad Girish Raghunath Karnad is a contemporary writer, playwright, screenwriter, actor and movie director in Kannada language... |
"for his contributions to Kannada literature and for contributions to kannada theater (yayati)" | Kannada Kannada language Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world... |
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| 1999 | Nirmal Verma Nirmal Verma Nirmal Verma was a Hindi writer, novelist, activist and translator. He is credited as being one of pioneers of ‘Nayi Kahani’ literary movement of Hindi literature, wherein his first collection of stories, ‘Parinde’ is considered its first signature.In his career spanning five decades and various... |
Hindi Hindi Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi... |
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| 1999 | Gurdial Singh Gurdial Singh S. Gurdial Singh is a Punjabi novelist. He was born in Malwa. His literary career started in 1958 and he became known as a novelist when he wrote the novel Marhi Da Deeva in 1964. His other novels include Anhoe , Addh Chanini Raat , Anhe Ghore Da Daan and Parsa... |
Punjabi Punjabi language Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language... |
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| 2000 | Assam | Indira Goswami | Assamese Assamese language Assamese is the easternmost Indo-Aryan language. It is used mainly in the state of Assam in North-East India. It is also the official language of Assam. It is also spoken in parts of Arunachal Pradesh and other northeast Indian states. Nagamese, an Assamese-based Creole language is widely used in... |
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| 2001 | Rajendra Keshavlal Shah Rajendra Keshavlal Shah Rajendra Keshavlal Shah was a lyrical poet who wrote in Gujarati. Born in Kapadvanaj, he authored more than 20 collections of poems and songs, mainly on the themes of the beauty of nature, and about the everyday lives of indigenous peoples and fisherfolk communities... |
Gujarati Gujarati language Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages... |
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| 2002 | Tamilnadu | D. Jayakanthan | Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore... |
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| 2003 | Maharashtra | Vinda Karandikar Vinda Karandikar Govind Vināyak Karandikar , better known as Vindā Karandikar , was a well-known Marathi poet and writer. He was also an essayist, literary critic, and a translator.... |
Ashtadarshana (poetry) | Marathi Marathi language Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most... |
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| 2004 | Jammu & Kashmir | Rahman Rahi | Subhuk Soda, Kalami Rahi and Siyah Rode Jaren Manz | Kashmiri Kashmiri language Kashmiri is a language from the Dardic sub-group and it is spoken primarily in the Kashmir Valley, in Jammu and Kashmir. There are approximately 5,554,496 speakers in Jammu and Kashmir, according to the Census of 2001. Most of the 105,000 speakers or so in Pakistan are émigrés from the Kashmir... |
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| 2005 | Uttar Pradesh | Kunwar Narayan Kunwar Narayan Kunwar Narain is a poet and a presence in Indian literature, often regarded as the leading living poet in Hindi. He has read and traveled widely, written over the last six decades and is among the few intellectuals who combine an international modern sensibility with a grounding in their... |
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| 2006 | Goa | Ravindra Kelekar Ravindra Kelekar Ravindra Kelekar was a noted Indian author who wrote primarily in the Konkani language, though he also wrote in Marathi and Hindi. A Gandhian activist, freedom fighter and a pioneer in the modern Konkani movement, he is a well known Konkani scholar, linguist, and creative thinker... |
Konkani Konkani language KonkaniKonkani is a name given to a group of several cognate dialects spoken along the narrow strip of land called Konkan, on the west coast of India. This is, however, somewhat an over-generalisation. Geographically, Konkan is defined roughly as the area between the river Damanganga to the north... |
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| 2006 | Uttar Pradesh | Satya Vrat Shastri Satya Vrat Shastri Satya Vrat Shastri is a highly decorated Sanskrit scholar, writer, grammarian and poet from India. He has written three Mahakavyas, three Khandakavyas, one Prabandhakavyas and one Patrakavya and five works in critical writing in Sanskrit... |
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| 2007 | Kerala | Dr. O. N. V. Kurup O. N. V. Kurup Ottaplakkal Nambiyadikkal Velu Kurup , popularly known as O. N. V. Kurup or simply O. N. V., is a Malayalam poet and lyricist from Kerala, India, who won Jnanpith Award,the highest literary award in India for the year 2007. He is considered one of the finest living lyrical poets in India. O. N.... |
for his contributions to Malayalam literature | Malayalam | |
| 2008 | Uttar Pradesh | Akhlaq Mohammed Khan 'Shahryar' | Urdu Urdu Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an... |
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| 2009 | Uttar Pradesh | Amar Kant Amar Kant Amar Kant is a noted writer of Hindi literature. His novel Inhin Hathiyaron Se earned him the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2007. Octogenarian Amar Kant is fighting against penury. And his only weapon is his pen. He has been awarded Jnanpith Award for the year 2009.-References:... |
Hindi Hindi Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi... |
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| 2009 | Uttar Pradesh | Shrilal Shukla | Hindi Hindi Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi... |
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| 2010 | Karnataka | Chandrashekhara Kambara Chandrashekhara Kambara Chandrashekhara Kambara is a prominent poet, playwright, folklorist, film director in Kannada language and the founder-vice-chancellor of Kannada University in Hampi. He is known for his effective usage of North Karnataka dialect of Kannada language in his plays and poems and is often compared... |
for his contributions to Kannada literature | Kannada | |