Almost 94 years after his death, a memorial to poet Kumaran Asan is getting ready at Kumarakodi, near Pallana. If things go as planned, the memorial will be thrown open to the public on January 16, 2018.
“Around 80-85% of the work has been completed. As a tribute to the poet, we are planning to open the memorial on the occasion of his death anniversary on January 16,” Malin M., secretary, District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC), told The Hindu .
Asan, one of the highly acclaimed poets of Kerala, lost his life in a boat tragedy at Kumarakodi in 1924.
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The memorial is being built in the form of a boat and an ink pen, amalgamating the life and death of the poet. Aside from the tomb of Asan, the fully air-conditioned memorial building will house a museum, audio visual rooms, seminar hall, and reference library.
A houseboat terminal, cafeteria and other facilities for visitors are part of the project.
“His works will be inscribed inside the memorial. Besides, a touch screen kiosk will be set up to provide the life story of Asan and an audio system will play his poems all day. Facilities will be made for visitors to pay floral tributes at his tomb,” Mr Malin said.
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The DTPC is also planning to start the Alappuzha-Kollam boat service through Kayamkulam Kayal offering sightseers an opportunity to visit the Asan memorial and enjoy village life. The project is implemented at a cost of around ₹4.8 crore under the mega tourism project. A statue of Asan, constructed by Kumaranasan Memorial Upper Primary School, is in close proximity to the memorial.
The memorial and houseboat terminal will be managed by the Kumaranasan Smaraka Samithi. It will also launch a website.