Kerala Hindus of North America awarded its first Sanatana Dharma Sahitya Gurusreshtha Puraskaram to Dr. C.T. Francis during a convention in Alappuzha on Monday. Swami Chidanandapuri handed over the prize — one lakh rupees and a citation — at the organization’s Kerala gathering. The honor recognizes a lifetime spent studying and promoting Sanatana Dharma literature.
Dr. Francis, a respected scholar and teacher, was chosen for his deep knowledge of Sanskrit and more than forty years in the classroom. His work through KHNA’s spiritual committee has introduced philosophical texts to new audiences and helped pass Indian knowledge traditions to younger generations. That combination of scholarship and outreach made him the natural pick for the inaugural award.
The prize money came from the Shanta-Gopinath Pillai family, which has also pledged ongoing support so the award continues every two years.
KHNA President T. Unnikrishnan presided over the ceremony. Also present were Dr. M.G. Shashibhushan, Adv. A. Jayashankar, Asha Menon, and Dr. J. Prameela Devi. On the same stage, the organization presented its Arshadarshan Puraskaram for creative contributions to Malayalam literature, making the event a double celebration of letters and philosophy.
KHNA plans to keep the Gurusreshtha Puraskaram as a regular feature at its biennial Kerala conventions. The goal stays simple: honor teachers who have dedicated their lives to Sanatana Dharma literature and the guru-shishya tradition that sustains it.
