Malappuram (Kerala) | Artist Namboothiri, one of the most prolific literary illustrators in the country, died in the early hours of Friday, family sources said. He was 98.

Namboothiri's end came at a private hospital in nearby Kottakkal at 12.20 am while undergoing treatment for age-related ailments, his family said.

During his several decades-long career, Namboothiri illustrated many popular characters for literary publications in the southern state.

A winner of the Raja Ravi Varma Award, Namboothiri is famous for his own style of line sketches.

Namboothiri's contribution stands out as he has done illustrations for almost all important literary works, starting from the 1960s to 2010.

The eminent work for which he drew his illustrations included Jnanpith Award winner M T Vasudevan Nair's famous novel 'Randamoozham'.

His illustrations left an indelible imprint in the minds of readers of renowned writers like VKN.

Born in 1925 in Kerala's Ponnani, Namboothiri entered the world of painting and sculpture in his childhood, influenced by the sculptures at a temple near his house.

A disciple of renowned artist K C S Paniker, he also drew inspiration from prominent painters like Debi Prasad Roy Chowdhury and S Dhanapal. He studied painting in the Madras School of Fine Arts.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and State Assembly Speaker A N Shamseer condoled his demise.