KASARAGOD: The Kottappuram houseboat terminal, located along the scenic Tejaswini river in Kasaragod, is both a popular tourist destination and a favourite hangout spot for residents.
For the locals, a number of things attract them to the sprawling terminal that caters to 34 houseboats: the calm environment, the teashops and restaurants, and ‘Velicham’, a small library.
Open between 4.30pm to 6.30pm on weekdays and longer on weekends, the library is home to 975 books in Malayalam and English, which it lends free of charge to residents frequenting the terminal. ‘Velicham’ is the brainchild of Fareena Kottappuram, who is a teacher, poet and an endosulfan and AIIMS Kasaragod People’s Collective activist.
For Fareena, the terminal was where she found solace after the demise of her mother Yasmin in November 2023. She would pick some books, head to the terminal and become engrossed in reading.
“It was my way of overcoming grief,” said Fareena. A lone woman reading books eventually caught the eye of the regular visitors. “They would ask if I could spare a book for them to read,” she said. It made her realise that though reading as a habit was waning, there were still people looking for books.
“I thought I could bring my personal collection to this place and lend them to anyone interested,” she said. Though she had some 100 books, finding a bookshelf to keep them proved difficult. She reached out to her acquaintances on social media and at get-togethers. When Jabir Pattillam, a local author and acquaintance, donated a bookshelf, she arranged her books in it and started lending them.
In March 2024, ‘Velicham’, Malayalam for light or enlightenment, was inaugurated. As it gained popularity via social media and by word of mouth, many donated books while her BCom batchmates from Nehru College donated another bookshelf.
At present, the library has three bookshelves and 975 books. “Once the number touches 1,000, I am planning to register ‘Velicham’ under the Kerala State Library Council,” said Fareena.
Fareena, who runs a playschool in the locality, comes to the terminal everyday at 4.30pm to open the library. She also leaves magazines out in the open for anyone to read. When she can’t make it, the local tea shop owner opens the bookshelves using his spare key.
At times, when she is caught up in meetings or busy with activism, Fareena’s children Hasil Safar and Safa Safreen rush to the terminal to handle the library. Fareena said she is able to keep the venture going because of her family, including her husband Abdul Samad.
Residents who borrow the books return them diligently. Families living along the river bank also send their children to get the books.