Though poet D Vinayachandran had a voice nuanced in humanism that transcended regional barriers, the capital city had a special place in his heart.
The unimposing poet who presented Kerala as a single, unified patch of land through his poem ‘Samasthakeralam PO’, however, chose to spend his life in retirement peacefully at a rented apartment in Thiruvananthapuram.
In fact, it was a homecoming of sorts for Vinayachandran, a bachelor, who had spent considerable time in the city while serving as a teacher at the University College, decades ago.
The poet came to the capital soon after his retirement from the Mahatma Gandhi University’s School of Letters in 2005. Ever since, he lived in a rented residence on one of the narrow lanes opposite the Ayurveda College.
The multi-storeyed building had an assumed air of modesty, which ideally synced with the character of its resident who struck a chord with the common people through his simple, but metaphorical verses.
Though abstemious, the home was a literature treasure trove, with many masterpieces and valuable journals stacked in the attic of the apartment.
‘’Only a few privileged ones had the right to enter his rooms. All others were met in the sit-out,’’ said Pradeep M Nair, a mediaperson for whom the poet was a guide to the world of letters right from his student days.
‘’He never discouraged the youth. He was willing to attend functions at colleges or write introductions to the collections of young, unheralded poets,’’ Pradeep recollected.
Though regular at the literary gatherings in the city, the poet never entertained similar events at his residence, where he wanted peace and privacy. ‘’He loved discussions and meetings on poetry and drama and rarely missed such events, except when he was travelling,’’ said Anup, an avid reader who was close to the late poet.
Vinayachandran, who had been a vegetarian for the past several years, used to frequent the vegetarian hotels in the vicinity of the Ayurveda College. The poet was never a great foodie, said his friends. ‘’He was not very keen on experimenting with food varieties. ‘Chapati’ and vegetable curry were his usual dinner menu,’’ said Anup.
