N. V. P. Unithiri

Noonhil Vadakkemadathil Padmanabhan Unithiri (born 15 December 1945) is a multilingual scholar, author, researcher, poet, progressive thinker, translator and teacher from Kerala, India. He has authored around 200 books in Sanskrit, Malayalam and English languages including translated works. Unithiri was born on 15 December 1945 in Kulapuram in Cheruthazham panchayat of Cannanore district as the son of Theke Chandramana Illath Govindan Namboothiri and Noonhil Vadakkemadathil Papappillayathiri Amma. He got his primary education from Cheruthazham Govt. LP School and Pilathara LP School. After completing his SSLC from Madai Govt. High School and Teacher's Training Course (TTC) from Kannur Govt. Basic Training School, he started working as a primary school teacher in 1965. He obtained the Malayalam Vidwan certificate in 1967 and graduated from Calicut University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Malayalam in 1971 and a Master of Arts degree in Sanskrit in 1973. In 1974, while working as a language teacher in Kalyassery Govt. High School, he joined Kerala University for his Ph.D. in the Department of Sanskrit. The research was about the literary contributions of Poorna Saraswathi, a 14-the century Sanskrit commentator, poet and dramatist from Kerala. Unithiri became a lecturer at Kerala University in 1975. In 1978, he moved to Calicut University. From 1985 to 1996, he served as the head of the Sanskrit department there. In 1996, he took over as the first principal dean of studies of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady. He was the chairman of the advisory committee of the Department of Culture, Government of Kerala. He retired from government services on 31 March 2006. Some of Unthiri's works include: