Mathilukal, Kerala’s first Basheer museum, brings alive rich legacy of legendary writer

The museum is a significant cultural landmark, showcasing an extensive collection of Basheer’s manuscripts and memorabilia that document his rich legacy.
Adoor Gopalakrishnan at Mathilukal
Adoor Gopalakrishnan at Mathilukal
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KOZHIKODE: The Mathilukal Basheer Museum and Reading Room, Kerala’s first museum dedicated to legendary writer Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, was inaugurated at the Dayapuram Educational and Cultural Centre in Chathamangalam. Filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, formally dedicated the museum to the nation, with Dayapuram Trust chairman K Kunhalavi presiding over the event.

The museum is a significant cultural landmark, showcasing an extensive collection of Basheer’s manuscripts and memorabilia that document his rich legacy.

The museum is named after Mathilukal, one of Basheer’s most famous works. It presents the different phases of his life – from his political activism between the 1920s and 1940s to his profound cultural writings in the 1940s and 1960s, to his later spiritual and ethical explorations before his passing in 1994.

The collection includes rare pieces like Basheer’s handwritten works and unpublished works such as Kaamukante Diary and Mucheettukalikkarante Makal. Also notable are the original English pages of Balyakalasakhi (1936), the screenplay of Bhargavi

Nilayam, and personal letters he exchanged with literary figure Sukumar Azhikode.

Two memorials celebrate Basheer’s life and legacy. The first is Aakasha Mittayi, a tribute built in Beypore where Basheer lived after his marriage. The second is the Mathilukal museum that houses a library, research hall, amphitheatre, park, auditorium, and a cultural centre. One of the highlights is the Garden of Letters and a walkway leading to the memorial.

Personal memorabilia such as his reclining chair and gramophone are part of the display in the museum’s front yard.

The museum’s artistic design was the work of painter K L Leon, while the architecture was handled by Sijo Cyriac from Bengaluru-based Little River Architects. N P Ashley, a teacher from St Stephen’s College, New Delhi, serves as the museum curator.

During the inaugural event, Adoor Gopalakrishnan praised the museum authorities for presenting Basheer’s life from a historical, cultural, and environmental perspective. He emphasised how it effectively captures Basheer’s contributions to the Indian freedom movement, Kerala’s cultural revival, and communal reformism within the Muslim community.

The museum will be open daily until November 3, after which it will operate every Saturday from 10 am to 4.30 pm, offering visitors an intimate look into the life of one of Kerala’s greatest literary figures.

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