Kallekkulangara Raghava Pisharody (1725–1795)
Kallekkulangara Raghava Pisharody, a revered scholar and poet of 18th-century Kerala, is best known for his celebrated Aattakatha “Ravanolbhavam”. Born in 1725, he resided at Andam Pisharam, near the sacred Kallekkulangara Bhagavathi Kshetram at Akathara in Palakkad.
Pisharody received his early education under the tutelage of his elder brother and guru, Krishna Pisharody. Eventually, he established his own school, where he mentored many distinguished disciples, including the renowned Kudiyamkulathu Shuppu Menon. In recognition of his erudition and influence, locals affectionately referred to him as “Manaloor Ezhuthachchan”.
A polymath, Raghava Pisharody served as a court scholar to Ittikombiyachchan, the ruler of Palakkad. With his profound knowledge in astronomy and architecture, he was entrusted with identifying a suitable location for a fort — a task that led to the establishment of the present-day Palakkad Fort.
However, following the succession of Ittipongiyachchan, Pisharody was compelled to seek asylum in the kingdom of Kochi under Veerakerala Varma. It was during this period of exile in Thrippunithura that he is believed to have composed his magnum opus, Ravanolbhavam.
Apart from this renowned work, Raghava Pisharody authored several other literary masterpieces, including:
- Sethu Mahatmyam
- Vethaalacharitham
- Panchathantram
The legacy of Kallekkulangara Raghava Pisharody lives on through his timeless contributions to Malayalam literature, as acknowledged by historian Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer in Kerala Sahitya Charitham.
