The Journey of Creativity Nurtured by Humility and Strengthened by Capability | heartfulness and mindfulness merged immensely
NV Paulose, Chairman, Global TV +91 98441 82044
God’s Own Country! The phrase has become the soul of Kerala’s tourism and a proud identity for the state. But very few people know the visionary behind these timeless words. This gentle whisper awakens every heart, drifting through the quiet mornings of Kerala, as the backwaters unveil their silver mist and the first light of dawn rests tenderly upon the waiting coconut palms.
The campaign of God’s Own Country was the gift of K. Jayakumar IAS. He is remembered not only as a senior civil servant but also as a poet, painter, lyricist, translator, teacher and thinker. His life is a rare blend of administration and art. He handled the responsibilities of governance with the same grace with which he wrote poetry or painted on canvas. To know him is to understand how service and imagination can exist together.
Childhood and Family
K. Jayakumar was born on 6 October 1952 in Thiruvananthapuram. His father, M. Krishnan Nair, was a well known Malayalam film director. His mother, Sulochana Devi, looked after the family with warmth and care. Creativity was part of his environment from the beginning. Films, literature, and discussions on art were natural in his home.
He grew up along with brothers who also carried the creative flame. His brother K. Harikumar became a writer, and his brother K. Sreekumar Krishnan Nair became a film director. Surrounded by this artistic energy, Jayakumar was drawn to words and ideas from a young age. He read widely, wrote early poems, and learned to look at the world with sensitivity.
Though art was in his blood, he chose a different career path. He decided to enter public service through the Indian Administrative Service. But he never left behind his love for literature and art. Instead, he carried them with him and made them part of his service to society.
The Journey in Administration
In 1978, Jayakumar joined the Indian Administrative Service in the Kerala cadre. By 1980 he was working as Assistant Collector. From the beginning he was known for his ability to balance firmness with compassion. For him administration was not only about rules and files. It was also about people.
As District Collector of Kozhikode, he won respect for handling civic challenges with efficiency and care. Over the years he held many important positions: Director of Tourism, Director of Public Instruction, Secretary for Culture and Tourism, Managing Director of the Film Development Corporation, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Culture in the Government of India, and later Agriculture Production Commissioner. Each assignment became an opportunity for him to leave behind improvements and fresh ideas.
In 2012 he became Chief Secretary of Kerala, the highest position in the state administration. Even at this peak, colleagues remember his calm approach. He could take important decisions without losing his gentle nature. He believed that an officer should not only command respect but also inspire trust.
The Story of “God’s Own Country”
One of the greatest contributions of Jayakumar is the phrase that gave Kerala its global identity. When he was serving as Director of Tourism in the late 1980s, the state was trying to build its name in world tourism. Many destinations across the world were already famous. Kerala needed something unique.
It was then that Jayakumar suggested the words God’s Own Country. He saw Kerala not just as a place of natural beauty but as a land blessed with a divine harmony between people, culture and nature. The phrase caught the imagination of everyone. It was simple, powerful, and true.
With the support of the tourism department and later officers who carried the campaign forward, “God’s Own Country” became more than a slogan. It became an identity that every Keralite could be proud of. Today, wherever Kerala is mentioned, these words follow. This gift of expression will remain as a permanent tribute to Jayakumar’s vision.
The Poet and the Writer
Alongside his demanding career, Jayakumar remained a poet and a writer. He has written twenty five books in Malayalam and four in English. His poems reflect human values, spiritual thoughts, and social questions. His words are gentle yet powerful.
His poetry collection Pingalakeshini won the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award in 2024. It was praised for its deep reflection on the decline of values in society. He had earlier received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Overall Contributions in 2021 and the Asan Poetry Prize in 2021. These recognitions confirm his place as one of the respected voices in contemporary Malayalam literature.
He is also a translator of rare talent. He has translated into Malayalam the works of Rabindranath Tagore, Kahlil Gibran and Rumi. Through these translations he has brought timeless wisdom into his own language.
The Lyricist of Evergreen Songs
In Malayalam cinema, Jayakumar is known for his unforgettable lyrics. He has written songs for nearly one hundred films. His lyrics stand apart because they are not only for entertainment but also for reflection. They have poetry in them, and they remain in the hearts of people even after decades.
Songs like Kudajadriyil Kudikollum, Chandanalepa Sugandham, Souparnikamritha Veechikal and Sooryamsuvoro Vayalpoovilum are now part of Kerala’s cultural memory. They are sung in households, played on radios, and remembered by generations. In these songs one can hear his poetic vision as well as his understanding of human emotions.
The Painter
Not many administrators are painters, but Jayakumar is one. He has held seventeen solo exhibitions in India and abroad. His paintings are colourful, expressive and filled with inner meaning. They often explore nature, spirituality, and human feelings.
For him painting is not just a hobby but another language of expression. Just as his poems use words, his paintings use colours to express beauty and truth.
The Teacher and Institution Builder
After his retirement from active service, Jayakumar continued to contribute through education. He became the founding Vice Chancellor of Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University in Tirur. Under his leadership, the university grew as a centre of language and culture. He gave it vision and direction.
He later became Director of the Institute of Management in Government in Kerala, where he guided future administrators. He also serves as Chairman of the Sathya Sai IAS Academy at Thonnakkal, where young aspirants are prepared for civil services. In all these roles, he has been more than a teacher. He has been a mentor, encouraging students to live by values and to see service as a calling.
Reflections at Seventy
We witness a new beginning as he steps into his seventies, carrying with him the wisdom of experience and the freshness of renewed creativity. After decades of public service, Jayakumar chose not to rest on his achievements but to turn more deeply toward writing, painting, and other creative expressions that had always been close to his heart. What could have been a time of quiet retirement became instead a season of new discovery. His journey reminds us that age does not diminish the human spirit but can refine it, allowing new chapters of imagination to unfold.
Awards and Recognition
The path he has walked has been marked by honours that acknowledge both his service as an administrator and his brilliance as a writer. He received the K. P. S. Menon Memorial Award in 2008 for distinguished service, the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 2021 for his overall contributions to literature, the Asan Poetry Prize in the same year, and the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award in 2024 for his poetry collection Pingalakeshini.
Yet the truest recognition does not rest in awards alone. It is found in the affection of readers, the admiration of colleagues, and the quiet respect of people whose lives he has touched. When the memory of an administrator endures in poems, in stories, and in institutions, it is a sign that his work has crossed the boundaries of official duty and entered the realm of lasting cultural legacy.
The story of K. Jayakumar is A Life to Cherish, It is a lesson on how life can be lived in fullness. He has shown that administration can be human, and that art can be public service. He has shown that one can serve the state with efficiency and also serve the soul with creativity.
His contributions as Chief Secretary, as the person who gifted the phrase God’s Own Country, as a poet and lyricist, as a painter and teacher, and as a builder of institutions make him a unique figure in modern Kerala.
When a tourist steps into Kerala and hears the phrase God’s Own Country, when a family sings his songs on a quiet evening, when a young student discovers his poems, when a civil service aspirant is inspired by his words, the legacy of Jayakumar continues to live.
His life is a bridge between worlds that are often kept apart: the world of governance and the world of imagination. In him, both worlds meet. That is why his story is not only to be remembered but to be cherished for a long time to come.
