Mahakavi Kumaran Asan memorial at Kumarakodi, near Pallana, is finally set to be thrown open to the public.
Malin M., secretary, District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) said that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would inaugurate the memorial on June 21 at 4 p.m.
Asan, one of the highly acclaimed poets of Kerala, lost his life in a boat tragedy at Kumarakodi in 1924.
The memorial comes to fruition several years after it was proposed. Although the Tourism Department planned to open the memorial last year, the completion of the project got delayed due to various reasons.
“It is a tribute to a great poet. The visitors can come and pay their respects and understand the life story of Asan at the memorial,” Mr. Malin said.
The memorial is 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 houses a museum, audio visual rooms, seminar hall, and reference library. The poet’s works are inscribed inside the memorial. Besides, a touch screen kiosk has been set up to provide the life story of Asan and an audio system will play his poems all day. Facilities have also been made for visitors to pay floral tributes at his tomb.
A houseboat terminal, cafeteria and other facilities for visitors are part of the project.
It is implemented at a cost of ₹3.12 crore under the mega tourism project. Mr. Malin said that the DTPC would request the State Water Transport Department, which is already conducting the Alappuzha-Kollam boat service, to allow stoppage for passenger boats at the terminal. This according to him will offer tourists an opportunity to visit the Asan memorial and enjoy village life.
A statue of Asan, constructed by Kumaran Asan Memorial Upper Primary School, is in close proximity to the memorial.