Kadammanitta Ramakrishnan

M. R. Ramakrishna Panikkar (22 March 1935 – 31 March 2008), popularly known as Kadammanitta Ramakrishnan or Kadammanitta, was an Indian poet. He was born in Kadammanitta province of Pathanamthitta district, Kerala. His childhood experiences, especially the Patayani songs, had a strong influence on his literary work. Ramakrishnan was born on 22 March 1935 to Meletharayil Raman Nair and Kuttiyamma. He completed schooling at his home village of Kadammanitta and at the nearby town of Pathanamthitta. He was influenced by the traditional religious art form of Patayani even from his childhood. After his degree studies, he went to Kolkata and then reached Chennai. He was employed with the Postal Audits and Accounts department in 1959. He worked in Thiruvananthapuram from 1967 until his retirement in 1992. Ramakrishnan's poem Njan was published in 1965 in M. Govindan's Sameeksha magazine.