ALAPPUZHA: The construction of a museum in memory of the legendary Malayalam writer Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai commenced at Shankaramangalam, the ancestral house of the legendary author, in Thakazhi, Kuttanad. The cultural affairs department is constructing the museum on 25 cents of land close to the residence of the writer and his final resting place.
The total cost of the project is Rs 6.5 crore and it is expected to be completed in 18 months, said an official with the Thakazhi Smaraka Samithi. The foundation stone for constructing the 11,000 sq. ft museum was laid in May 2022. The museum, with its eco-friendly design, which includes a wooden bridge, ‘padipura’ and ‘erumadam’ (tree house), showcases the rich heritage and traditions of Kuttanad.
The writings and the themes of the Jnanpith laureate’s iconic literary works and characters will be showcased in the museum. It will have a library, an audio and visual room, a mini auditorium, etc. The Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society is in charge of the construction of the building.
It is the two-decade-long efforts of Thakazhi’s children and the Smaraka Samithi, led by its chairman and former minister G Sudhakaran, that led to the project being a reality. Following the writer’s death in 1999, the state government acquired Shankaramangalam in 2001 and converted it into a memorial-cum-museum under the archaeology department. Back then, the government announced that a museum of international standards would be constructed here.