Museum chronicling rich history of language, literature, and culture to open in Kerala’s City of Letters

The museum, a first-of-its-kind in India, will open to the public on November 26. It spans 15,000 square feet consisting of four galleries and is located in Kottayam

The first phase of Museum of Letters and Literature, established by the Department of Cooperation, will open to the public on November 26 in Kottayam — the City of Letters.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the museum at a ceremony presided over by Cooperation Minister V.N. Vasavan. On the occasion, the Chief Minister will also launch the Letter Tourism Circuit project, which aims to connect significant cultural and literary landmarks in Kottayam.

Author M. Mukundan will be honoured with the 5th Aksharapuraskaram, jointly instituted by the Department of Cooperation and the Sahithya Pravarthaka Cooperative Society (SPCS), on the occasion. An array of writers including T. Padmanabhan, M.K. Sanu, N.S. Madhavan, V. Madhusoodanan Nair, and Ezhacherry Ramachandran will participate.

The museum, a first-of-its-kind in India, spans 15,000 square feet and is located in Nattakom, near Kottayam. Equipped with cutting-edge facilities including theater and hologram system, the museum aims to chronicle the rich history of language, literature, and culture.

The first phase, consisting of four galleries, presents a journey from the origins of language to the modern evolution of Malayalam. The first gallery explores the beginnings of human language through oral traditions, cave paintings, and hieroglyphic. The second gallery traces the evolution of Indian scripts over centuries, while the third gallery highlights the history of Malayalam printing, including milestones in printing technology and key literary works.

The fourth gallery delves into the contributions of the Sahitya Pravarthaka Cooperative Society. Visitors will also find rich multimedia content covering literacy initiatives in Kerala, Dravidian languages, and the 36 tribal languages of Kerala.

On the first floor, a Language Gallery offers insights into over the 6,000 languages spoken worldwide and features charts showcasing the chronological evolution of Indian scripts.

Letter Tourism Circuit

As part of the initiative, a Letter Tourism Circuit will connect Kottayam’s most iconic cultural, historical, and literary landmarks, including the Kottayam CMS Press -- the birthplace of Malayalam printing; Kottayam Valiyapally, which is known for its holy cross engraved with Pahlavi inscriptions; and the Kumaranellur Devi Temple, which houses palm leaf manuscripts and ancient scriptures, among others.

Other key locations include the Thirunakkara Mahadeva temple, Panachikkad Devi temple, Tazhathangadi Juma Masjid, and Mannanam St. Joseph Press, one of Kerala’s earliest printing presses.

The museum has been constructed on land owned by the Sahitya Pravarthaka Cooperative Society, established in 1945.

Published - November 24, 2024 06:58 pm IST