Jnanpith Award - R. Vairamuthu

July 17 , 2026 16 hrs 0 min 78 0

Tamil poet, lyricist, and writer R. Vairamuthu was conferred the 60th Jnanpith Award (2025) in New Delhi.
He is the third Tamil literary figure to receive the award, after Akilan (1975) and Jayakanthan (2002), ending a 24-year gap.
He received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2003 for his novel Kallikattu Ithikasam.
Instituted in 1961, the Jnanpith Award is India's highest literary honour, presented annually for lifetime contribution to literature in any language listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
The award is presented by Bharatiya Jnanpith, an institution established in 1944 to promote Indian languages, literature, and cultural heritage.
The award comprises a cash prize of ₹11 lakh, a bronze statue of Goddess Vagdevi, and a citation.