Njattyela Sreedharan, a self-taught linguist whose monumental work linked four Dravidian languages in a single dictionary, passed away early Thursday (August 13, 2025) while undergoing treatment for age-related ailments in Kannur, Kerala. He was 87.
Mr. Sreedharan was celebrated for compiling the Chathur Dravida Bhasha Padhaparichayam, a work hailed as a milestone in the study of South Indian languages. Known to many as Kannur’s own Hermann Gundert, his legacy lies not just in his books, but in his belief that language binds communities.
For Keralites, door opens to three other Dravidian languages
His work, nurtured through decades of persistence, remains a testament to the power of self-learning and cultural curiosity.
At the of 82, when most would consider slowing down, Mr. Sreedharan was painstakingly compiling over 1 lakh words across Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu.
