P. Kunhiraman Nair

P. Kunhiraman Nair
Drawing of P Kunhiraman Nair
Born	(1905-10-04)October 4, 1905 Bellikoth, Kanhangad, Kerala, India
Died	May 27, 1978(1978-05-27) (aged 72) Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
Occupation	Teacher, Poet
Nationality	Indian
Genre	Poetry

P. Kunhiraman Nair (4 October 1905 – 27 May 1978), also known as Mahakavi P, was a renowned Malayalam poet whose works romanticised the natural beauty of his home state of Kerala in southern India and juxtaposed it with the hard realities of his life and times.

Born in Bellikoth near Kanhangad of North Malabar, P., as he is known (simply by his initial), led a Bohemian lifestyle, wandering across Kerala, living in several places, meeting their people and making them part of his life and literature. He worked as a school teacher, having taught at Koodali near Kannur and Kollengode in Palakkad district.

Poetry formed his main genre of work (it isn't exactly known how many poems he penned during his half-a-century career as many are irretrievably lost), though he has also penned stories, articles and a few plays. His autobiography, Kaviyude Kaalpaadukal (The Footprints of a Poet), is one of the celebrated works in prose in Malayalam.

The central Kerala belt of Valluvanad, known for its scenic charm and cultural vibrancy, was a major source of inspiration for the poet, who lived there for long—partly as a family man. His works are also dotted with metaphors from Kathakali, the classical dance-drama of his region.

Kunhiraman Nair was an award winner of both the Kerala Sahithya Akademi and the Kendra Sahithya Academy Award.

Mahakavi P.Kunhiraman Nair began to write poems at the age of twelve and continued to do so for the rest of his life.

He worshipped nature and travelled extensively. He is a poet who forgot to live amidst his unending journey in quest of nature and poems. He is known as a devotional poet. The subjects of his poetry include devotion, the natural beauty of Kerala, temples, deities, stories of epics, rituals and customs.