Ottaplakkal Neelakandan Velu Kurup, a Poet, lyricist, teacher, and an inspiration for all, the roles donned by Prof. O.N.V.Kurup is varied. He has held generations in awe with his imaginative skills, creativity, and poetic expressions that often dealt with the very land he belonged to; its events, people, and situations that he experienced. O.N.V was born in May27, 1931 at Chavara, in Kollam district. He took Degree in Economics from Sree Narayana College Kollam. His first published poem Munnottu in 1946 and he was a teacher in Maharaja’s College in Kochi and worked in various Colleges. His poetic works have touched the heart and soul of thousands of works includes Marubhumi, Nilakkannukal, Mayilppili, OruTulli Velicham, Agnishalabhangal, Aksharam, KaruttaPakshiyude Pattu, Uppu, and Bhumikku Oru Charamagitam.
As a renowned poet, Mr. Kurup has been associated with many national and international programmes. Accolades and recognitions have always been a part of his life. Agni Salabhangal the poetic work by Mr. Kurup was awarded the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1971. He was also awarded the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award in 1975 for his poem Aksharam. A noted poetic work of Mr. Kurup titled Uppu won the Soviet Land Nehru Award in 1981 and also the Vayalar Rama Varma Award in 1982. He has also won the Kerala State film awards twelve times, for the best lyricist. But the pinnacle of recognitions bestowed on Mr. Kurup till date remains the coveted national award Padmashri, which he received in 1998 and who won the Jnyanapita award, the highest literary award in India for the year 2007. He died on 13 February 2016.
The septuagenarian poet is, without doubt, the few among his contemporaries, who continue his poetic pursuits with an undying fervor. And in the process, Mr. O. N. V. Kurup remains one of the highly respected and accomplished poets of modern Kerala.
