Tribute to a poet
K. RAJAN
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Vallathol Vidyapeetham, run by the Vallathol Educational Trust, has emerged as a premier centre of learning.
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APT MEMORIAL: Vallathol Vidyapeetham at Sukapuram, near Edapal, in Malappuram district.
When K.P. Kesava Menon put forward the idea of a memorial in honour of poet Vallathol, the writer fraternity did not have to think twice to suggest that it be a centre for both literary and cultural studies.
It was N.N. Kakkad who coined the name Vidyapeetham for the foundation. Over the last three decades, since its founding in 1979 under the auspices of the Vallathol Educational Trust, the Vidyapeetham, through its multifarious activities, has emerged as a premier centre of learning.
It has been recognised as a centre of research by universities in Kerala and Tamil Nadu - Kannur University and Vinayaka Missions Research Foundation Deemed University (Salem).
"At first, we planned to build a memorial at Tirur, Vallathol's native place. However, land prices were high. That was when we zeroed in on Sukapuram, near Edapal, in Malappuram district, a few kilometres away from the poet's wife's house at Vanneri," says Chathanath Achuthanunni, one of the founding members and secretary of the Vidyapeetham.
The foundation has a vast collection of ancient manuscripts. It all started in 1992 with the efforts of the Vidyapeetham to protect the palace records of the Zamorins of Kozhikode (Granthavaris), transferred to it in 1990 under a court order.
"The old manuscripts are of great use as primary source material for students of political and cultural history of Kerala. However, a major portion of the valuable records was burnt during the invasion of Tipu Sultan," says Dr. Achuthanunni.
Digitalising records
The records that remained have been kept in Tiruvanchira Palace in Kozhikode. To preserve the old palm leaf manuscripts and other records, the directors of Vidyapeetham digitalised them using digital camera and stitching software.
The plan is to preserve the records as digital copies in compact discs. The records include 70 volumes of palm leaves, 300 ledger volumes, and 60 village maps.
The records relate to various topics - accession ceremonials of the Zamorins and chieftains, royal processions, Mamamkam, rituals, Cherikkal accounts, correspondence with the Portuguese and Dutch officials, adoptions, punishments, royal writs, traditional history et al.
The Vidyapeetham has the unique distinction of publishing some of the best known works in the areas of poetry, literary criticism, stylistics, grammar, comparative literature, history, and research methodology.
Some of them like the `Kerala Charitram' (Raghava Varier) has seven editions.
There are also detailed studies on Vallathol's works and the Vidyapeetham has copied eight volumes of the poet's manuscripts into CDs.
The Vallathol Education Trust has centres for Sanskrit studies, translation of original Buddhist works and for training in old scripts like Brahmi, Grantha, Vattezhuttu and Kolezhuttu. Added to these is a Vallathol Vanitha College.
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