The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Living in harmony with nature

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Monday, Jun 28, 2010
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Living in harmony with nature

Staff Reporter

Photo: H. Vibhu

Water games:Children launching paper boats as part of a programme ‘rain and paper boats' organised by Vyloppilly Memorial Cultural Centre in Kochi on Sunday. —

Kochi: Forest Minister Benoy Viswom on Sunday paid tribute to the late poet Vyloppilly Sreedhara Menon in his birth centenary year by inaugurating a unique festival of launching of paper boats in rainwater. The day-long programme, called ‘ Mazhayum Kadalasuthoniyum' (rain and paper boats) organised by the Vyloppilly Memorial Cultural Centre attracted a modest crowd of political leaders, artistes and poets besides ordinary Kochiites.

Speaking after launching a golden paper boat on a makeshift cement tank stream readied for the purpose at the Vyloppilly Samskarika Kendram, Mr. Viswom said that the late poet, “the light of the land”, was a diehard humanist. “Through his poetry, he reminded us of our commitment to the society and to the living beings that share this nature with us. He spoke of the symbiotic relation between man and nature and of need for humanism that propped the relationship. Living during the times of great poets with varied voices, he was able to carve a niche for himself. Lust for life set him apart from his contemporaries,” Mr. Viswom said.

Noted painter C.N. Karunakaran and Mayor Mercy Williams participated in the inaugural function. During the programme that lasted till four in the evening, several poems of Vyloppilly were rendered. Children, who made the most of the day, had a blast launching about 1,500 paper boats on the stream.

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