R Vairamuthu Conferred 60th Jnanpith Award for Lifetime Contribution to Tamil Literature

Eminent Tamil poet, litterateur and lyricist R Vairamuthu was conferred the 60th Jnanpith Award for 2025 , India's highest literary honour, at a ceremony in the national capital on Monday, marking a significant milestone in Indian literature.

The award was presented by Karan Singh , former Union minister and noted scholar, at the Chinmaya Mission Auditorium on Vairamuthu's birthday. As part of the honour, he received a cash prize of ₹11 lakh , a bronze statue of Vagdevi (Goddess Saraswati) and a citation.

Accepting the award, Vairamuthu dedicated the recognition to the Tamil language and the wider fraternity of Indian literature . Reflecting on his literary journey and personal struggles, he described literature as humanity's greatest source of hope, compassion and moral strength. He said the honour would inspire him to continue his creative pursuits with renewed dedication.

The award recognises Vairamuthu's outstanding lifetime contribution to Tamil literature . With this achievement, he becomes the third Tamil writer and the first Tamil poet to receive the prestigious Jnanpith Award.

Vairamuthu's literary career spans poetry, novels, essays and film lyrics. His works have explored themes such as rural life, social change, human emotions and Tamil cultural heritage, earning him widespread acclaim. His acclaimed novel "Kallikkattu Ithikasam" won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2003. A celebrated lyricist, he has received the National Film Award for Best Lyrics seven times and has also been honoured with the Padma Shri (2003) , Padma Bhushan (2014) and the Sadhana Samman Award (2009) . His writings have been translated into several languages, including English, German, Russian and Norwegian.

In his keynote address, Karan Singh described the Jnanpith Award as a symbol of India's rich literary tradition, linguistic diversity and national unity. He praised Bharatiya Jnanpith for its six-decade commitment to promoting excellence in Indian-language literature and encouraging contemporary literary creativity. He also urged younger generations to build a stronger connection with Indian languages and literary traditions.

Among those present were Pratibha Ray , chairperson of the Jnanpith Award Selection Committee, Bharatiya Jnanpith trustee Mudit Jain , along with eminent writers, scholars, academicians and literature enthusiasts.

Instituted in 1961 , the Jnanpith Award is presented for an outstanding lifetime contribution to literature in any language listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution . Since 1965, 66 distinguished authors have received the honour.