Dr. M Leelavathi honoured with Deshabhimani Literary Award in Kochi

Kochi: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan presented the Deshabhimani Literary Award to Dr. M Leelavathi, a luminous figure in Malayalam’s cultural and literary world, in recognition of her invaluable contributions to language and literature. The award ceremony was held at 11 am at the CUSAT seminar hall in Kalamassery.

The honour comprises a cash prize of three lakh rupees and a memento designed by Karaykkamandapam Vijayakumar.

The event was attended by Deshabhimani Chief Editor Puthalath Dinesan, Minister P Rajeev, eminent writer M Mukundan, Deshabhimani Resident Editor M Swaraj, CPI M State Secretariat member C N Mohanan, Deshabhimani General Manager K J Thomas, and organising committee chairman S Satheesh. Previous recipients of the award include M T Vasudevan Nair, T Padmanabhan, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, M Mukundan, and Prof. M K Sanu.

A literary festival evaluating Dr. Leelavathi’s lifelong contributions to Malayalam literature was also held at two venues within the CUSAT auditorium as part of the event.

In a moving gesture that reflected her humility and social commitment, Dr. Leelavathi announced that she would donate two lakh rupees from her award money to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund. She said the remaining amount would be given to those who had previously approached her for financial help.

Expressing her gratitude, Dr. Leelavathi said she was deeply honoured to receive an award of such significance and thanked everyone for their kind words and affection. Her announcement was received with warm applause and smiles from the Chief Minister and the audience.

The ceremony not only celebrated Dr. Leelavathi’s remarkable literary journey but also stood as a reminder of her enduring generosity and deep bond with Kerala’s cultural spirit.