“Like squirrels sow the seeds of plants, book fair will sow seeds of knowledge,” says Virudhunagar Collector
Virudhunagar The Grizzled Squirrel of Srivilliputtur has been a major attraction for wildlife lovers. Now, this rodent will be an attraction for Virudhunagar district’s first-ever Book Fair to be held from November 17.
For, the Virudhunagar district administration has made it the official mascot for the book expo.
The administration has come up with a shiny squirrel in golden colour sitting on a huge book and reading a smaller book with a pair of glasses would attract the children.
The squirrels are major dispersers of seeds. “They sow the seeds that grow as plants and trees. Here, we use it as a mascot for the book fair that would sow the seeds of knowledge,” Virudhunagar Collector, J. Meghanath Reddy said.
Besides choosing the small mammal, which is found in abundant numbers in the Western Ghats of Srivilliputtur, the administration has named it as ‘Viru’.
“We hope Viru will be a major attraction and bring more people, especially children to the exhibition and make the first book expo a major success,” the Collector said.
The exhibition would have more than 100 stalls to be put up by book sellers and publishers.
The theme of the book fair is “Today’s Reader, Tomorrow’s Leader”. “We know whatever we read will get stored in some corner of the brain. A quote from the book or a hero from a play would always inspire people,” Mr. Meghanath said.
The administration also has planned to put up a huge model of the Vembakottai Archaeological excavation site.
“We will re-create one of the trenches of Vembakottai excavation site. Besides, lot of the artefacts found there would be on display,” he added.
Over and above, a huge pandal with 1,000 seating capacity will come up where students and members of public can sit for the debates, cultural programmes.
“We will have something for everybody so that more people come here,” Mr. Meghanath said.
