Palakkad to honour its another great son MGR

A file picture of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and founder of AIADMK M.G. Ramachandran.

The district that had produced some of the greatest artists and musicians of the country is honouring its yet another great son, the well known silver screen icon 'Makkal Thilakam’ and the late Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M.G. Ramachandran by constructing a memorial for him in his ancestral village of Vadavannur in Chittur taluk, 15 km from Palakkad.

The memorial – a Community Hall – constructed by the Vadavannur Grama Panchayat will be inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran on Monday.

The ancestral house of MGR ’s mother Sathyabhama is nearby and a distant relative of him is living there now.

Though MGR was born in Sri Lanka, his father Maruthur Gopala Menon belonging to the nearby Nalleppilly village returned to Vadavannur after his retirement as the Magistrate of Kandy in Sri Lanka and stayed for some time in their ancestral house.

After his death MGR ’s mother left with her another son M.G. Chakrapani to live with her elder brother at Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district.

While living there both the brothers entered the film world.

M.G.R had married from Kuzhalmannam in Palakkad. His first wife was Ammukutty alias Sadanandavathy, daughter of Kadukunni Nair and Mokambika Amma.

After her death only MGR married actress Janaki. In fact some of the relatives of Janaki had married from Vadavannur.

Though the family left Vadavannur MGR had visited his ancestral house on a number of times even after becoming Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, the local people said.

The Grama Panchayat President of Vadavannur K.S. Sheeja said that the Panchayat has constructed the memorial which will be used has a conference hall and Kalyana Mandapam. An amount of Rs.52 lakh was spent from the M.L.A’s local area development fund of K. Achuthan.

The Kalyana Mandapam will be rented to poor families on a lower rate as MGR had helped many poor families in conducting marriages.

It is in the memory of that great noble heart, the memorial hall will be leased out for marriages also, the president said.