Tunchat Ezhuthachan was a famous Malayalam poet. He made a significant contribution to the growth and development of Malayalam literature. He is regarded as `the father of Malayalam language` and the creator of modern Malayalam language due to his devotion to the language. He also had a great influence on the acceptance of the Malayalam alphabet, and his extremely popular poetic works in Malayalam. His full name was Thunchaththu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan.

Ezhuthachan was born in the later half of the 16th century in Tirur, Malappuram district of the state of Kerala. He was also known as Ramanujan. According to some fictitious myth, it is said that his father belonged to a Namboodiri Brahmin and he belonged to a Tharavadu (joint family) family. The Ezhuthachan is a title, which is bequeathed upon a great male teacher or schoolmaster. The Ezhuthachan is also the name of a caste in old India. Other sources inform that he was of the Ezhuthachan caste. And a noted indologist named Dr A.C. Burnell confirmed that Ezhuthachan belonged to the Ezhuthachan Caste only. This was stated by Burnell while editing an article by another important scholar F W Ellis after his death in 1878. This article was published in `Indian Antiquery`.

He composed numerous wonderful works. A particular type of poetic language and a special type of verse named `kilippattu` or `parrot song` were made famous by Ezhuthachan. This kilippattu style became popular as a literary composition only because of his genius style of writing. Ezhuthachan has two main great works in his credit. These are the Adhvatma Ramavanam and the Bharatam (Mahahharatam). Even today, these two works of Ezhuthachan are considered as the greatest classics in Malayalam. The Ramayana of Ezhuthachan considers Rama as the God himself whereas, the original Valmiki Ramayana presented him as perfect man, the king of Ayodhya.

Ezhuthachan modified the Malayalam alphabet and wrote the Hari Nama Keerthanam to popularise the 51-letter alphabet in Thunjan Parambu. Thus the place became a holy spot for the South Indian people and till today numerous people from various parts of the state come to take sand from the Thunjan Parambu to use in the initiation of their children to the alphabet. During the Vijaya Dasami festival, every year hundreds of people come with their children to the Thunjan Parambu to make their children write their first letters here.

The `Adhyathmaramayanam` by Ezhuthachan was so popular in Kerala that during the dark times of war, disease and famine, every house there used to utter it. He has a huge contribution in teaching the common man to respect and worship the language and the alphabet. This high level of culture is difficult to find now in this modern era. His target was the ordinary people and he composed many works for them by including all good things with a strong sense of righteousness and worship.

The most important works of Ezhuthachan are -

Keralolpathi

Hari Nama Keerthanam- the song of the holy name `Hari`

Ganapatistavam

Devi Mahatmayam and

Kerala Natakam

Ezhuthachan could go to the seventh heavens like a true devotee while explaining Rama. The Bhakti form is reflected very well in most of his compositions. In his composition, he has given his best as a poet and it is regarded as a more original work. He used the figures of speech in a very unique style and his power of characterization is also very excellent.

The works like the Bhagavatam, Uttara Rama-yanam, Harinama-Kirttanam and Chintaratnam were attributed to him. He was compared to the great composers like Valmiki and Vyasa of Sanskrit literature and Tulsidas of Hindi literature. He was also a philosopher and reformer, who composed many poems about society in those times and had great compassion for the common people.

The Malayalam lovers wanted to erect a statue of Ezhuthachan at his birthplace but the local religious fundamentalist groups opposed the statue erection. They said it is against the tenets of Islam and the demand for an Ezhuthachan statue at Tirur is still unfulfilled. But Ezhuthachan will remain alive in the hearts of all Malayalam people of South India for his numerous contributions in the Malayalam literature.