KOCHI: A conch signifying the beauty and tenacity of the ocean that shapes it, placed on a hand adorned with bangles that represent the seven musical notes and the seven colours, all of which rests on a book — the utlimate representation of knowledge.
Envisaging this requires more than mere thought. There was a vision involved: of how the creative piece would become the trophy that would be the hallmark of the Kerala State School Arts Festival.
The story about how the Golden Cup was ideated is one that does the rounds every year during the annual festival. Write-ups about how there was a lacuna felt by the legendary Vyloppilli Sreedhara Menon, who was the judge for literaty events in the 1985 edition of the festival, when he felt that the Nehru Cup had its trophy all glitzy whereas an event like the state school arts fete was lacklustre with no shimmer of gold on a trophy. There was a pressing need for a tradition to be started in connection with the gala event, which had all the potential to run for time immemorial adding to the cultural value of the state and artists, he felt.
This he shared with Chirayinkeezhu Sreekantan Nair, who too was a judge, evaluating the artwork of the contestants. A Fine Arts college product and a teacher, Sreekantan Nair did the artwork for the famed children’s magazine Balarama.
The entire conversation regarding the need for a trophy cast in gold reached former Education Minister T M Jacob who was so thrilled by the idea that he took it upon himself to get a trophy in gold done and instituted by the next year.
Entries were called for designs. However, none of the entries were appealing. Yet a gold trophy weighing six sovereigns was ready for the 1986 edition. It, however, did not satisfy its ideators.
The matter was taken up again and this time, the onus of a design landed on Sreekantan Nair’s shoulder. “Vyloppilli told me that it shouldn’t be just another trophy but should reflect the ethos of the festival. It should be one where beauty, art and knowledge confluence,” Sreekantan Nair had said when asked about it during one of the earlier editions of the festival.
His design, which he drew in a day at a guest house in Thrissur, had it all — the book that depicted knowledge, the conch that reflected beauty and sound, and the hand that had seven bangles denoting the mudras of dance and the seven ragas. The model was drawn up, and then the mould was cast in clay and then, plaster of paris.
Finally, it took shape in gold under the contract taken by Pathamanthitta-based Shalimar Jewellery. Five artisans under the precise guidance of five artisans, led by T Devarajan and V Dandapani from Coimbatore, took a month and a half to finish the work. The gold set aside for it was 101 sovereigns. But the jewellers took a little more, and the finished work had 117.5 sovereigns of gold, was 18 inches long and 12 inches in breadth.
The trophy was introduced at the 1987 edition of the festival at Kozhikode, and Thiruvananthapuram district walked away with it. They won it three consecutive times after that. But Kozhikode has held the trophy the maximum number of times, 17 since 1987.
After this, the cup has exchanged several hands, weathered a controversy over the name of TM Jacob inscribed on it initially which was later erased, seen many tussles during the different editions of the annual fiesta, and even a commotion at the festival ground in the 50th edition.
It now rests in the treasury of the winning district, after just a day with the winning team. The treasury is well-guarded till the next festival when it is brought to the venue for that year’s winners to take it home.
The trophy is on its way to Thiruvananthapuram this year, where the festival is being held from January 4 to 8.
A prototype will be mounted on a truck that will take the coterie carrying the original trophy through several stops where it will be honoured till it reaches the main venue of the festival.
That way, the trophy will reach Vazhode in Thiruvananthapuram suburb on Friday morning to stop over at the GHSS Thattathumala. It will then pass through Kilimanoor, Vengarammoodu, Kanyakulangara, Nedumangadu, Aruvikkara, Kachani, Vattiyurkavu, Peroorkada, Poojappura, Cotton Hill, Pattom, and PMG to reach the Central Stadium at 7.30 pm. At each of these stops, the trophy will be welcomed and felicitated by the regional authorities.
“At the main venue, the education minister will receive it and give it for safekeeping at the treasury till the last day of the festival when it will be handed over to the winning district,” says Biju, the Thiruvananthapuram DEO, who is one of two DEOs in-charge of the trophy committee of the festival.
Thus the trophy of the festival too has its own story of make and as its maker says, it remains a sparkling example of art unparalleled in its craft and idea. Like the arts festival, the trophy, too, is a work of art.
Till some years ago, Sreekantan Nair would go to the venue of the festival wherever it is held to catch a glimpse of the trophy which he calls his “creative child”. Now 82, he lives at Pilla Lane, between Ulloor and Kesavadapuram in Thiruvananthapuram. This time, the trophy seems to have come visiting him in keeping with the practice of a loving rendezvous between the creator and the creation during the annual carnival of culture and beauty with the zest of the unbridled spirit of budding youth.