N Purushothama Mallya, Padma Shri Awardee and Crusader for Konkani Language, Dies at 97

Key facts

• N Purushothama Mallya, a Padma Shri awardee, educationist and writer who worked to promote the Konkani language in Kochi, died at his residence in Cherlai at the age of 97.
• Born in Mattancherry on May 7, 1929, he was among the leading voices of Konkani literature and scholarship in Kerala.
• He played a key role in establishing the Konkani Bhasha Prachar Sabha in Mattancherry in 1966, the first such centre for the promotion of Konkani outside Goa.
• Mallya served as the state president of the Gowda Saraswat Brahmins Maha Sabha and as the president of the 12th All India Konkani Sahitya Parishad Sammelan.
• He authored several books and researched the role of Konkani scholars in Kerala's socio-cultural spheres.